The Detroit Lions are expecting 2026 to be the year that Isaac TeSlaa becomes a known commodity in the NFL. The second-year wide receiver has more targets opened for him and is a breakout candidate, per Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report.
Detroit traded multiple picks to move up to the 70th overall pick in the 2025 draft to take the wide receiver from Arkansas. It appeared the team had a plan for him. While he did catch six touchdowns, he also had just 16 catches on 27 targets for 239 yards.
He was third on the team in touchdowns, but sixth in yards and seventh in targets and catches. This year, the expectation is for him to firmly be the third wide receiver and improve in each metric.
The Detroit Lions Are Expecting More From Isaac TeSlaa in Year 2
GettyLions WR Isaac TeSlaa
The biggest reason to expect more from TeSlaa beyond general improvement from his rookie year to his second season is the open targets that are coming from Kaliff Raymond. Raymond signed with the Chicago Bears this offseason.
TeSlaa did play a bit more than him, but there was a split. The rookie ended up with 436 snaps, and Raymond had 358. Beyond that, Raymond out-targeted TeSlaa. With the loss of Raymond, the team is losing 30 targets, 24 catches, and a touchdown.
Not all of the production will go straight to TeSlaa, but the majority of the 358 snaps should be heading in his direction. The team added Greg Dortch and Cedrick Wilson in free agency, but those two are low-end of the roster players who do not need to see the field. They drafted Kendrick Law in round 5, but he tore his ACL. The thought is that TeSlaa will get a lot more on his plate this year, giving him the chance to produce exponentially.
TeSlaa Must Take Advantage of the Extra Work In Year 2
If TeSlaa took on the 30 extra targets from Raymond and maintained his yards per target, he would gain an additional 267 yards and would get to 506 yards in his second season. However, if he took on the additional 217 routes that Raymond ran, and maintained his yards per route run, he would only gain 176 yards and would be at 415 yards.
Those are fair baseline expectations, but the thought is that TeSlaa should be able to take a step forward in both areas as well. His yards per target were below Raymond, who was at 9.6, and his 0.81 YPRR were behind Raymond, who was at 1.33 last year. Those are not high numbers to achieve.
It speaks to the reality that TeSlaa’s lack of production was not just tied to not seeing the field. When he was on the field as a rookie, he was not as efficient as some of the lower-end target options. TeSlaa is going to get the opportunity, but nothing he has shown so far in his rookie year has shown that he can take advantage of that work.
If the Lions do not get a step forward from TeSlaa in 2026, the passing game might take a step back.
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