5 things to know about new Detroit Lions WR Isaac TeSlaa

Everything you need to know about Detroit Lions’ third-round pick WR Isaac Teslaa.

The Detroit Lions made an aggressive move on Friday night to jump 32 spots in the third round to grab Arkansas wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa. Here are five things you should know about the Lions’ latest wide receiver.

He’s an athletic freak

At 6-foot-3, 214 pounds, TeSlaa is one of the biggest wide receivers in this year’s class. Truly, only first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan (6-foot-4, 219) and third-round pick Savion Williams (6-foor-3, 222) are bigger than him.

Despite that, TeSlaa still scored outstanding marks when it came to speed (4.43 40-year dash) and agility (4.05 short shuttle). In total, his 9.93 RAS is second amongst wide receivers in this class (Landon Parker: 9.97).

He’s a die-hard Lions fan, who has a great top-30 visit story

TeSlaa grew up on the west side of Michigan (Hudsonville). He started his college career a little closer to Detroit at Hillsdale College—100 miles west of Detroit. Throughout it all, TeSlaa was a die-hard Lions fan, even attending the game in which Calvin Johnson set the single-season record for receiving yards.

“I’ve been a fan—like I said—since I was a baby,” TeSlaa said Friday night. “My dad was a huge Lions fan his whole life, so I grew up watching every single game every Sunday, Thursday, Monday, whenever they were playing. I remember going to a Saturday night game where Calvin Johnson set the record. I remember growing up watching Calvin Johnson, Matthew Stafford, all those guys. Those were the guys I grew up watching as a kid. Like I said, it’s cool to be a part of that team now.”

TeSlaa was such a big fan of the Lions that when he visited Detroit in his pre-draft visit, he showed up in a customized Lions jersey with his name on the back.

“I’m not sure if he told you, but when he came on his Top 30 visit he had on a Lions jersey,” Lions general manager Brad Holmes said. “I thought he just did a cheesy mood just to do – some fanboy stuff and I was like, ‘Come on, he didn’t put a Lions jersey on.’ But no, he said, ‘No, I’ve had this since the eighth grade. What better time to wear it than now?’”

He’s got incredible hands

I had the same amount of drops in college as TeSlaa did. I didn’t play college football.

That’s to say that TeSlaa was not credited with a single drop over his college career. And if you watch his tape, you’ll notice a guy who does a great job catching the ball away from his body and just snagging it out of the air.

TeSlaa dominated the pre-draft process

Obviously, the athletic numbers TeSlaa posted at the NFL Combine turned a bunch of heads. But his performance in the on-field drills was also quite impressive.

But even before that, TeSlaa proved he could hang with bigger competition at the Senior Bowl . That’s where he first caught Brad Holmes’ eye.

(“I) hadn’t watched his film yet, but saw how he was in the run game in the team periods just his blocking and his size,” Holmes said. “He was just being a pest and he was just pissing off the DBs and the defenders and obviously it just made me want to completely watch the tape and you see a guy that’s just big, long, smooth strider, can accelerate, can run. He’s a hands catcher, can play special teams, can block so can do a lot of things.”

Holmes wasn’t the only one. TeSlaa made several standout lists from the week of Senior Bowl practices.

His NFL position in the NFL is not entirely clear

At Arkansas, TeSlaa mostly played in the “big slot” role. Per PFF, 72 percent of his snaps in 2024 came out of the slot. It was a little more balanced (54.5%) in 2023.

But with his size, speed, and willingness to block, it’s reasonable to believe Detroit could try him at their critical WR-X role—which remains a long-term need. Holmes wouldn’t commit to one spot for TeSlaa, saying they’ll lean into his versatility.

“I think he’ll be able to do both,” Holmes said. “Again, just like any other receiver he’s going to need to develop but he’s got the tools to play outside and win outside. He’s going to have to learn getting off press and all that stuff just like they all do, but he’s got all the physical tools and he’s got the intangible makeup to be able to overcome that.”