The Detroit Lions were one of the first teams to open up training camp due to them playing the NFL Hall of Fame Game against the Los Angeles Chargers on July 31. These summer months are all about getting better and building continuity.
The Lions have a lot of players returning to the Motor City, including WR Tim Patrick. He's going into his second season with the team, but after a few weeks, it looks like rookie WR Isaac TeSlaa could be coming for his job.
During Monday's practice, TeSlaa had a huge block on Nick Whiteside that cleared the way for a Tom Kennedy score. The offense was excited more for the block than the actual touchdown, according to The Athletic's Colton Pouncy.
TeSlaa's has reportedly been βsprinkled inβ with the Lions' first-team on offense per Justin Rogers.
Rookie WR Isaac TeSlaa is reportedly starting to get βsprinkled inβ with the Lions first-team offense, per @Justin_Rogers
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Lions WR Isaac Teslaa Is Making a Push to Start
These reports are just the latest ones around Teslaa's outstanding summer. He has been getting open as a route runner while using his size to shield other defenders to secure the catch.
When the Lions used the 70th overall pick on the WR in April, it caught fans by surprise due to the lack of elite college numbers. Over the last two seasons at Arkansas, TeSlaa had 62 catches for 896 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
The biggest reason why the Lions selected him is cause of his athletic traits and abilities. He posted a 9.97 RAS (Relative Athletic Score) out of a possible 10.00. That ranked 11th out of 3,441 WRs from 1987 to 2025.
Detroit is banking on his athleticism and using its coaching to unlock his skillset. And while that is great for his outlook, it looks like Patrick's time as the starter is slipping away.
In his lone season with the Lions, he had 33 catches for 394 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He logged the third most snaps at WR last season with 671. Patrick came back on a one-year, $2.5 million deal, but with him being 31 years old and his injury history, it wouldn't be surprising to see Patrick get fewer reps than the emerging TeSlaa.
Preseason will be huge for the rookie, but if he continues this positive trajectory, he will crack the starting lineup behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. And that will bump Patrick down on the depth chart.