The Detroit Lions’ trade up for Arkansas wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft was one of the most surprising moves of the entire three-day event.
TeSlaa wasn’t on anyone’s radar that early in the draft, and the fact that the Lions moved up to snag him in a deal that saw general manager Brad Holmes give up three third-round picks (two in 2026) only added to the surprise.
But TeSlaa is quickly showing why the Lions were high on him, as he was pointed out as one of the biggest standouts during the team’s open session of rookie minicamp on Friday.
According to one reporter, Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit, TeSlaa had “the most encouraging debut” of any Lions rookie who took part.
“But if we’re talking about on-field contributions, it was hard not to be drawn in by receiver Isaac TeSlaa. The Lions were very clearly trying to get him involved early and often during seven-on-seven drills. And while his day was probably best described as ‘up and down,’ it was easy to see the vision with him,” he wrote.
“Detroit mostly played him on the outside and was sure to have the corner opposite him lined up in press-man coverage. TeSlaa was able to disengage often,” Reisman added. “I still think there needs to be some cleaning up when it comes creating separation at the top of his routes, but all of his defining attributes were on display at some point in practice. He broke away with his speed on a route that wasn’t the eventual target. He fought through some contested catches, didn’t have anything I would consider a drop, and flashed his physicality a bit during blocking drills (although contact is very limited right now).”
Also impressed with TeSlaa was The Detroit News’ Nolan Bianchi, who had a glowing review of the third-round pick.
“While it can be tough to make sweeping observations from a walkthrough this early in the spring, it’s clear that what the Lions saw in him is real,” Bianchi said. “His burst was noticeable, and — just as he did over two seasons at Arkansas — he caught everything thrown his way.”
Looking ahead to his first season in the NFL, TeSlaa will play a depth role, with the team having Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Tim Patrick occupying the top spots on the depth chart.
For now, the best he can expect is the No. 4 job, which will feature a competition between himself, Kalif Raymond, and others. But things will open up in 2026, as Patrick and Raymond will both be free agents.
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