Isaac TeSlaa film room: Breaking down the Lions rookie WR's preseason debut game

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It's always hard to gauge what a player can really do after just one preseason game. For the most part, you shouldn't overreact too much but through the Detroit Lions lone preseason game up to this point of the summer, there's been some encouraging development for a number of their players. One of those players is rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa.

In the Hall of Fame loss to the Los Angeles Chargers last week, TeSlaa was one of the top performers on the offensive side of the football for the Lions. He finished the game with two receptions for 46 yards on three targets. He did all this while only playing 32 offensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).

Throughout the summer, we've seen TeSlaa stack good days on top of each other. That has continued as of this writing. For now, let's dive into the film to review how the rookie wide receiver did in his first career NFL action.

Starting with the first reception we saw from TeSlaa in the Hall of Fame game, we go to the play above. One of the key takeaways I took from this game is how much the Lions ran plays out of their '12' personnel (one running back and two tight ends). That may end up changing if Zach Horton (#40) ends up making the 53-man roster but moves to fullback.

That said, let's focus on Isaac TeSlaa (#18) and how he's aligned at the top of the screen. The Lions run a cool hi-lo concept on a bootleg pass with the offensive line sliding to the right. Spilling out from under the offensive line is TE Shane Zylstra (#84) to the flats. Running deeper downfield and across it is TeSlaa. Lions QB Kyle Allen (#8) quickly sees TeSlaa, who glides with ease. The quick and fluid movement is impressive by the rookie wide receiver. It's a big first down that was one of the better offensive plays from the Lions on the night.

Moving to the next play, we'll see the Lions run only two routes downfield until a tight end check-releases. Focusing on the bottom of the screen, you'll see TeSlaa (#18) faced with off-man coverage from the Chargers. With the outside leverage from the cornerback, TeSlaa explodes to the middle of the field on a dig route. There's a chance that this is an option route (vertical/curl/dig) for the rookie wide receiver, but I digress.

As the route continues to develop, quarterback Kyle Allen (#8) begins to extend beyond the pocket. Once TeSlaa gets past the safety down in the box, Allen fires it to the rookie wide receiver. As he secures the ball away from his frame, he turns upfield to gain some additional yardage for the first down.

It's been an eventful 4 months for TeSlaa. First, he was drafted by his hometown team in the 3rd round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he's put together a strong summer camp. At this point, it wouldn't be surprising if we see the rookie receiver carve out a bigger role on the Lions' offense.

On the Lions 'Inside the Den' YouTube series, it was revealed that the Lions may have bigger plans for him. Possibly even more impressive is that the Lions scouting department has been watching TeSlaa since his days at Hillsdale College. As a player, he was described as a "...natural hands catcher..." and that "he's everything that we look for in this culture. Tough, competitive, athlete." Highlights of his blocking, run-after-catch ability and athleticism really stood out in the video.

It may be tough for TeSlaa to take targets away from Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta, but he could develop into a productive pass catcher. Especially if the sluggish start from Tim Patrick continues into the regular season. We'll see how the preseason goes the rest of the way, but the rookie from Hudsonville, Michigan, is off to a good start.