The Detroit Lions have pulled off another trade in the 2025 NFL Draft. The team moved up from the No.102 overall pick in Round 3 to the No.70 overall pick to select Arkansas wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa.
The Lions sent pick 102 and two third-round selections to the Jacksonville Jaguars for pick 70, used on TeSlaa, pick 182, and a 2026 sixth-round selection.
TeSlaa is a big wide receiver at 6'4, 214 pounds, but he also ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the scouting combine. The 23-year-old wasn't very productive in college, but he has the potential to develop into a difference-maker at the next level for the Lions.
Detroit doesn't have a pressing need at wide receiver and TeSlaa wasn't a consistent impact player in college, so experts aren't very high on this pick.
Lions draft grades for Isaac TeSlaa
Nick Brinkerhoff and Ayrton Ostly, USA Today: C+
Brinkerhoff and Ostly: "TeSlaa is a lot of projection at this point with impressive tools and size at 6-foot-4 and 214 pounds with 4.43-second speed in the 40-yard dash. But he's unproven and will need time to develop. If the Lions wanted a fast outside receiver, there were more proven options on the board. This feels like a reach."
Nick Baumgardner, The Athletic: C+
Baumgardner: "This is a pretty classic Brad Holmes pick, as the Lions gave up a lot to move up in the third for one of the biggest receivers in this class at 6 feet 4 and 214 pounds with 4.43 speed and a near 40-inch vertical leap. This is not a polished player and many teams had him much lower than round three, but the Lions’ WR need is more long-term than short-term. My fear is that TeSlaa was a better tester than a performer, as he never caught more than 34 passes in Power Four action. Detroit also still hasn’t selected an edge yet."
Brent Sobleski, Bleacher Report: B
Sobleski: "Much like a basketball team, a wide receiver corps should feature varying skill sets. Amon-Ra St. Brown is clearly the point guard of the Detroit Lions' pass-catchers with how he runs the offense. Jameson Williams has a little shooting guard in him with his big-play ability. Tight end Sam LaPorta is essentially the small forward. More can be mined from TeSlaa's skill set. The Division II transfer didn't exactly explode onto the scene at Arkansas, where he racked up 896 receiving yards over the last two seasons. However, the 6'4", 214-pound TeSlaa consistently beat defensive backs during Senior Bowl week. He then posted a staggering 9.97 relative athletic score during predraft testing, which ranked 11th among all wide receiver prospects since 1987, per Kent Lee Platte."
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA Today: C+
Middlehurst-Schwartz: "The upside for a 6-4, 214-pounder is immense, as TeSlaa can pluck passes over the heads of smaller defensive backs downfield. But he still has a long way to go on his development, and he might be relegated to a big slot role at the next level."
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