Lions trade three Day 2 picks to move up 32 spots in third round for WR Isaac TeSlaa
Allen Park — The Lions stayed patient in the first round, standing pat at No. 28 before selecting defensive tackle Tyleik Williams. On Friday, the team traded up twice, first climbing three spots in the second round to secure guard Tate Ratlege before making a 32-spot jump in the third round to land Arkansas receiver and Michigan native Isaac TeSlaa.
Born in the Grand Rapids suburb of Hudsonville, TeSlaa attended Unity Christian High School before following in his father Mark’s footsteps to Hillsdale College. After thriving for the Chargers, Isaac was able to transfer to Arkansas.
Primarily playing in the slot for the Razorbacks, the 6-foot-4, 214-pound TeSlaa posted 62 receptions for 896 and five touchdowns across two seasons.
Considered a still-developing talent with untapped potential, TeSlaa will add size, athleticism, and reliable hands to Detroit’s receiving corps, as well as the ability to contribute to multiple special teams groups. Posting elite measurables in every drill during the pre-draft process, he has tremendous upside.
The Lions paid a steep price to land TeSlaa. To acquire the No. 70 pick from the Jaguars to make the pick, they sent Jacksonville three Day 2 choices, the No. 102 pick this year, as well as their two third-rounders in 2026.
Detroit also got back two sixth-rounders in the swap, the No. 182 in this year’s draft and a 2026 selection.
You guys will forget all about those picks when you see Telsaa play.
This is going to be fun.
So there are two things that I keep in mind about this… First, Detroit is a high-quality roster needing a handful of pieces rather than wholesale turnover of the roster. Second, this draft was regarded as being fairly weak on talent outside the top 80 or 100 pics. Each one of the guys he’s taken yesterday and today were for a specific purpose on the team in the coming years