The Detroit Lions have been one of the NFL‘s best teams in recent seasons, but with that success comes envy from opposing teams. The coaching staff went through a lot of attrition this offseason, as offensive coordinator Ben Johnson took the Chicago Bears’ head coach job and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn accepted the top coaching gig with the New York Jets.
Still, their roster remains one of the best in the league, and they’ve used the first couple of days of the 2025 NFL Draft to augment a talented group.
After taking Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams in the first round and Georgia guard Tate Ratledge in the second round, they added to their loaded receiving corps with the 70th overall pick.
Lions Have Loaded WR Room After Selecting Isaac TeSlaa in 3rd Round
Skill position talent has been the strength of the Lions’ roster for years, and that isn’t changing any time soon.
The “Sonic and Knuckles” running back duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery remains in place and should serve as the heart of offensive coordinator John Morton’s scheme.
Tight end Sam LaPorta is entering his third year in the NFL after two impressive campaigns to open his career, and Brock Wright is a well-rounded backup who is a prominent red-zone threat for quarterback Jared Goff.
It’s at receiver where the Lions make their money, though. Amon-Ra St. Brown has earned back-to-back first-team All-Pro nods and just posted a jaw-dropping 115/1,263/12 receiving line in 2024. Speedy wideout Jameson Williams joined him in the 1,000-yard club, while Tim Patrick and Kalif Raymond bring a combined 168 games of NFL experience to the WR room.
However, those latter two veterans will have some new competition for the WR3 gig in Detroit, as the Lions used their third-round pick on Arkansas receiver Isaac TeSlaa.
Traded up for a Michigander, welcome home @TeslaaIsaac! pic.twitter.com/S7WQg54xS6
— Detroit Lions (@Lions)
In PFSN’s draft grades for each Lions pick, the PFSN Stats & Insights Team gave the selection of TeSlaa a B-, lower than the grade they assigned to the Williams (A-) or Ratledge (B+) picks.
The Lions force you to automatically consider “devil’s advocate” thought exercises with their unorthodox picks. No one liked the Gibbs pick or the LaPorta pick when they were made, and it’s fair to say those turned out well. They don’t have Johnson anymore, but the infrastructure is still there, and TeSlaa is the kind of natural talent who can exceed expectations with the right support.
To be clear, TeSlaa is relatively underdeveloped and will need to expand his route tree. But at 6’4”, 214 pounds, he’s a 99th-percentile athlete, with 4.43 speed, a 39.5” vertical, a 10’9” broad jump, and a 6.85 three-cone.
He’s a size-speed freak, vertical threat, and potential RAC weapon who can block at a high level. The Lions have a long-term vision for him as a WR3, and he’s a quality rotational spark with run-game utility right out of the gate.
With St. Brown, LaPorta, and Williams already in place to serve as Goff’s primary targets, TeSlaa should see plenty of favorable matchups in his rookie season.
