The Detroit Lions enjoyed an extremely successful 2024 regular season campaign after completing their schedule with a record of 15-2.
Despite the team's regular-season success, the Lions were still impacted by issues with the way the roster was built, as it left Detroit shorthanded at times. The possibility of a similar issue popping up for the Lions this season seems more realistic following the decision to trade veteran wide receiver Tim Patrick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round draft pick.
Lions Trading Tim Patrick Prove They Learned Nothing Last Year's Issue
The biggest problem that Detroit faced on the perimeter this past season was not the quality of the wide receivers at the top of the depth chart. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams are one of the best duos in the league for a reason. The depth behind those two, however, was nothing to write home about.
After selecting Isaac Teslaa in the third round of the 2025 draft, the former Arkansas Razorbacks standout was expected to work his way into that WR3 position on the depth chart at some point during the early portion of his career. Whether anyone expected that to be Week 1 of his rookie season is a different question altogether, but it appears to be the reality we live in following Wednesday morning's trade.
Moving Teslaa into the starting lineup makes sense given how effective he was during the exhibition season. After reeling in 10 of his 13 targets for 146 yards and three touchdowns, Teslaa earned this opportunity.
The Lions are now in a spot where the depth in the wide receiver room is at best a question and at worst a glaring issue. Behind Teslaa are Kalif Raymond, a nine-year veteran who had 22 targets over 12 games last season, and rookie seventh-round pick Dominic Lovett. That's it.
It seems safe to wonder, and some already are, whether Detroit would have been better off just elevating Teslaa into the top group alongside St. Brown and Williams and keeping Patrick on the roster. At the very least, there would have been a proven, reliable veteran who knows the offense that would be ready to step in at a moment's notice, if needed.
Now, the odds seem high that the Lions will have to look outside of the organization to find a sixth wide receiver to carry on the active roster for the 2025 campaign. The effectiveness of that player, no matter who it is, will be directly related to how quickly they can learn the playbook and acclimate themselves to the style of offense that is run in the Motor City.
We'll find out soon enough just how this all plays out for the Lions. It is clear, though, that this coaching staff and front office have faith in Teslaa's ability to get the job done.