The Detroit Lions seemed to have found a true gem in the middle rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. Wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa was one of the sensations of the preseason, and while he didn't get that many opportunities as a rookie, he showed enough promise to look like the next big thing on Dan Campbell's team.
That momentum didn't necessarily carry into training camp, and definitely not into his second preseason. TeSlaa hasn't lived up to the hype in the past month, and it may have reached a new low in the team's 16-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Not only was he blanked on three targets, but he should've had an easy reception that led to an interception instead. Head coach Dan Campbell tried to downplay all concerns, but this is definitely a worrisome trend.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell isn't worried about Isaac TeSlaa
“I remember what those days are like. You want everything to come in a hurry, and you’re going into your second year, and you can place a lot of pressure on yourself, especially because you want to be great. I mean, he wants to be great,” the coach said postgame. “So I think more than anything, he just has to stay the course.
That's fair to a degree. Yes, there are sky-high expectations for TeSlaa, whose otherworldly athleticism and body control make him look like a highlight waiting to happen on every route. Even so, that's something he must learn how to deal with as a pro.
TeSlaa drew the third-most targets on the team, with receiver Dominic Lovett and running back Jacob Saylors as the only guys who were more featured in the offense. The Lions clearly tried to get him going to shake off the rust and a shaky start to training camp, but to no avail.
The Lions have more than enough talent in the wide receiver room. Amon-Ra St. Brown is a top-five guy at the position, and Jameson Williams could probably be WR1 on most teams, perhaps even in this one. They also added a speedy threat in Kalif Raymond.
As such, TeSlaa can't afford to keep stacking bad days together. He hauled in just 16 receptions as a rookie, but six of those were touchdowns. Averaging nearly 15 yards per reception in his lone season in the league, he's already shown what he's capable of when he's locked in.
New offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has plenty of mouths to feed, and it's up to him to scheme him open and put him in a position to succeed. However, he can't catch the ball for him.
TeSlaa is in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons right now, and it's up to him to prove that he wasn't just a one-year wonder and a preseason darling.
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