The Detroit Lions wrapped up their preseason schedule with a 26-7 loss to the Houston Texans on Saturday and there were few players that stood out. But one of the stars was wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa, who caught a touchdown pass from Kyle Allen for the Lions’ only score of the game in the first quarter.
TeSlaa was a puzzling pick for Lions fans after limited production at Arkansas. But his preseason performance, which included 10 catches, 146 yards and three touchdowns in four games, validated general manager Brad Holmes’s comments that he was his “favorite receiver in the draft.”
While TeSlaa appears to be buried on the depth chart to begin the year, Dan Campbell suggested the rookie could be in line for a bigger role than expected when Detroit opens the year against the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 7.
Dan Campbell Hints TeSlaa Could Have Role for Lions at Start of Season
Speaking to reporters after Saturday’s game, Campbell explained that TeSlaa has had his ups and downs during preseason and training camp but was overall pleased with his progress. Campbell also hinted that TeSlaa could have a role early in the season after flashing regularly during the month of August.
“He’s no different than any young player. He’s just going to have some growing pains,” Campbell said via Benjamin Raven of MLive. “He’s going to continue to get better and better. But, I’m very pleased, we’re very pleased with where he’s at after six weeks of camp because that’s really what it’s been. We just finished six weeks, so I’d say, if you took most receivers, he’d be in 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.”
TeSlaa put an exclamation point on his preseason with his 33-yard touchdown grab along the sidelines in Saturday’s loss to the Texans. While hitting “The Worm” celebration set social media on fire, Campbell was more focused on what he showed to make the touchdown grab, which was a sign of his development this summer.
“It was a very composed route. It was a very detailed route, which, that tells you that he’s taking the coaching and he’s growing,” Campbell said of the touchdown. “...And then TeSlaa, 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.”
For the Lions, this a great sign for their depth at receiver. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams are slated as the top two targets, but TeSlaa could also take over for Tim Patrick, who will likely make the team but could be better suited for a depth role. If offensive coordinator John Morton finds ways to get TeSlaa on the field, it could be a bigger rookie season than anyone could have expected for the young receiver.