Is This Lions Rookie the Hidden Weapon Ready to Change the Game?

So here we are again — the Detroit Lions stand at a crossroads after back-to-back playoff heartbreaks, but this time something’s stirring beneath the surface. Ever wonder if a rookie could be the secret ingredient to shake up a veteran offense? Enter Isaac TeSlaa, a third-round pick who’s already flashing the kind of preseason spark that makes you lean in and raise an eyebrow. With Tim Patrick on the move to Jacksonville, the WR3 spot swings wide open — and the buzz on The Ross Tucker Podcast suggests TeSlaa is ready to step in, big time. Is he the next late-round gem to rise like Amon-Ra St. Brown did? Well, the Lions might just have hit gold again, and frankly, it’s thrilling to watch this story unfold.

The Detroit Lions are heading into a pivotal year after consecutive devastating playoff losses over the past two seasons.

Expectations are deservedly high even after losing both coordinators because there is still a bevy of talent on both sides of the ball, including one new rookie who has turned heads all preseason and could be poised for a big role right off the bat.

On a recent episode of The Ross Tucker Podcast, John Daigle discussed the recent trade of Tim Patrick, heading from the Lions to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and how that opens up a substantial role for impressive rookie Isaac TeSlaa.

“All this does really is open up TeSlaa for WR3 role that Tim Patrick played last year. This is still a logjammed offense, to where I’m still questioning their ability to spread the ball out as they did in past years, since Ben Johnson and Tanner Engstrand were the two who were responsible for getting every player involved. Now, we’ll see if John Morton is capable of that,” Daigle said.

“All this does really is open up TeSlaa for the WR3 role that Tim Patrick previously played last year.”@NotJDaigle on what the Tim Patrick trade means for the Lions: pic.twitter.com/i1BR8YM2PY

— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) August 28, 2025

TeSlaa was a third-round pick out of Arkansas and scored in all three of Detroit’s preseason games, showing he is capable of handling WR3 duties right out of the gate.

On paper, there isn’t much competition for him at this point, and it looks like his preseason heroics were no fluke, and the team is fully committed.

He wouldn’t be the first late-round receiver to carve out a big role in this offense, as Detroit obviously struck gold when it took Amon-Ra St. Brown in the fourth round a few years ago.

It appears the Lions may have struck gold again, and while it’s much too early to say that for certain, there is plenty of reason to be excited about this rookie and the role he could have in the Lions’ offense.

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