Sportsnaut
The Detroit Lions front office heard the skepticism immediately after the 2025 NFL Draft for the selection of wide receiver Isaac Teslaa with the 70th overall pick in Round 3. While it’s still very early for the rookie. Teslaa’s stock continues to climb this summer.
Following Detroit’s preseason finale against the Houston Texans on Saturday, Lions head coach Dan Campbell praised Teslaa for his performance in the game and highlighted him as an “upper echelon’ rookie who is quickly developing.
“We’re very pleased with where he’s at after six weeks of camp. I would say if you took most receivers, he’d be the upper echelon of those as far as development. It’s not easy to develop as a receiver in this league and be ready to go, and I think there’s a place for him to help us early in this season.”
Detroit Lions HC Dan Campbell on wide receiver Isaac Teslaa (via ProFootball Talk)
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TeSlaa, a 6-foot-4 wide receiver, was viewed around the league as a bit of a reach in the third round. After thriving at Hillsdale College, earning G-AC Offensive Player of the Year in 2022, he found his way to Arkansas. Across 25 games in the Razorbacks’ offense, he combined for 896 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 62 receptions, averaging 14.5 yards per reception.
While he didn’t have a lot of college production at the FBS level, Teslaa’s athleticism stood out. During the pre-draft process, he recorded a 9.96 Relative Athletic Score. For context, that was the 16th-highest among wide receiver prospects from 1987 to 2025.
“TeSlaa took the time to win. It was a very composed route, it was a very detailed route. That tells you that he’s taking the coaching and he’s growing. He just continues to get better and better. Every time he makes a play, every time he does something, you gain the trust of everybody around you. The coaches, but also your teammates who are watching.”
Dan Campbell on Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac Teslaa’s preseason touchdown
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Even with Lions’ backup quarterback Hendon Hooker struggling, Teslaa still produced during his first taste of the preseason. He finished with the seventh-most receiving yards and tied for the most receiving touchdowns during the NFL preseason.
Viewed as a bit of a project entering the 2025 NFL Draft, Teslaa has now positioned himself to potentially become Detroit’s No. 4 wide receiver. If either Jameson Williams or Tim Patrick misses time with an injury during the regular season, Teslaa could become the latest draft gem who becomes an important offensive weapon in the Lions’ offense.
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