Fans of the Detroit Lions are counting down the days until the club officially reports for Training Camp, which will be later this month.
Following a disappointing 2025 campaign that resulted in a 9-8 record and missing the NFL postseason for the first time since 2023, the Lions will be eager to rebound and reclaim what they feel is their rightful place atop the NFC North Division.
And despite not making the postseason, one of the many positives from the 2025 NFL season was the emergence of rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa, whom the club selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Arkansas.
If the recent remarks from Lions wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery are any indication, the young wideout who thrilled fans with several highlight-reel catches is only just getting started.
Detroit Lions Wide Receivers Coach Scottie Montgomery Praises Offseason Work Of Isaac TeSlaa
Montgomery, who was impressed by TeSlaa’s footwork and speed, noted his ability to become a bigger target for quarterback Jared Goff to launch passes to.
“That gives him the ability in those one-on-one situations and not just win with length, but to win with quickness and length,” Montgomery said. “That gives, of course, (Goff) just an even bigger window to throw the football.”
Montgomery also loved what he saw from TeSlaa during Detroit’s offseason workouts.
“He’s done a good job of going and getting the football since he’s been here, and then now at the top of his breaks, they’re so much cleaner,” Montgomery said. “He’s so much stronger.
Compared to where he was previously, Montgomery believes that TeSlaa has made a major leap forward.
“What I like to do is I like to watch where we were, especially from an athleticism standpoint, to where he is now. It’s not even close.”
In his first NFL campaign, TeSlaa appeared in all 17 games, racking up 239 receiving yards (averaging 14.9 yards per catch) on 16 receptions with six total touchdowns.
TeSlaa himself said that he hopes his offseason training will lead to bigger and better things as he prepares for his sophomore NFL campaign.
“I felt like that really helped me get my body back and kind of restore some of that twitchiness I had before,” TeSlaa said in June. “Just naturally kind of getting it through that but also going through receiver drills and all the training regiments that they have us going through, I felt like it’s really prepared me well.”
Head Coach Dan Campbell Loved What He Saw From Isaac TeSlaa Last Season
TeSlaa, who will begin the upcoming season third overall on Detroit’s wideout depth chart behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, earned high praise for his performance in 2025 from coach Dan Campbell.
“I almost wish we could have gotten TeSlaa some more touches than he did get (last year),” Campbell said. “But, it wasn’t because of him, his growth took off, and he did, he got a little bit better every week, he became a guy – would tell you by the end of the year we had a lot of trust in.”
Lions Send Strong Message About Isaac TeSlaa’s Development Entering Year Two