It shouldn't take long for Isaac TeSlaa to find his way onto the field for the Lions. He couldn't find the words when they called his name in the draft.
"The TV was a little delayed so I didn’t even see the Lions trade up, and all of a sudden I’m getting a call from a 313 number. I just about passed out," TeSlaa said after his first practice of rookie minicamp. "I stood up and everyone was still talking, I was like, 'Everybody shut up!' I picked up the call and he said, ‘This is Brad Holmes, GM with the Detroit Lions,’ and I almost fell to the ground."
A Michigan native, TeSlaa grew up cheering for Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford. He was inside Ford Field 13 years ago when Megatron broke the NFL record for receiving yards in a season. When his favorite team brought him in for a pre-draft visit, TeSlaa showed up in a customized Lions jersey with his name and number 10 on the back. Holmes laughed and said he thought it was a little "cheesy" at first -- "some fanboy stuff" -- until TeSlaa said, "No, I’ve had this since the eighth grade. What better time to wear it than now?"
Truthfully, Holmes didn't know much about TeSlaa before the Senior Bowl a couple months ago. He was a quarterback at Unity Christian High School in his hometown of Hudsonville, and a zero-star recruit with one Division I offer from Valparaiso. He didn't switch to receiver until he followed in his father's footsteps to D-II Hillsdale College, a couple hours west of Detroit.
TeSlaa is suited to making plays in the air. He's 6'4, and holds the long jump record at Unity Christian. By his second season in college, TeSlaa was the top receiver on his team. By his third, he was one of the best receivers in Division II and the Offensive Player of the Year in his conference. That led him up the ladder to Arkansas, where last year TeSlaa ranked among the SEC leaders in yards per catch.
Holmes hadn't watched much of TeSlaa's tape prior to the Senior Bowl. Then he got to Mobile and couldn't take his eyes off one of the most relentless players on the field. Everything TeSlaa did reflected the qualities the Lions value under Holmes and Dan Campbell, particularly the way he blocked in the run game at an event that's a showcase as much as a competition.
"He was just being a pest and just pissing off the DB's and the defenders, and obviously it made me want to completely watch the tape," said Holmes. "And (when you do), you see a guy that’s just big, long, a smooth strider, can accelerate, can run. He’s a hands catcher, can play special teams, can block, can do a lot of things."
It's fair to question whether the Lions needed to trade two third-rounders next year to move up 32 spots on Day 2 for a player who was widely viewed as a Day 3 pick. And even if they did, whether they should have. We won't be able to say one way or another for a couple years. But TeSlaa was clearly one of the Lions' top targets at receiver, which is quietly a position of need, "and at some point the well runs dry in these drafts," said Holmes. "So you better get the guys you really, really want."
When it's a player "that we love," Holmes said, "we don’t flinch. We just go get them."
The Lions bring back Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Tim Patrick at receiver, but TeSlaa has a path to the field -- beyond special teams -- as a rookie. For one, he brings a lot of the same physical attributes as Patrick, who's 31 years old with a troubling history of injuries. If Patrick goes down for any stretch of time this season, TeSlaa would be a natural replacement as a big-bodied receiver who can serve as an outlet for Jared Goff. Furthermore, he can play both outside and in the slot.
TeSlaa was primarily a slot receiver at Arkansas, a bit of a surprise given his size and speed. As Holmes noted, "he’s got the tools to play outside and win outside." He'll have to learn how to beat physical corners in press coverage, but has the frame -- and the frame of mind -- to do it. His football character is as high as his athleticism.
"I feel like I bring a lot of versatility," he said, "and there’s always room to grow."
That might be the most encouraging piece of TeSlaa's profile. He's still coming into his own at receiver, and he has the drive to max out his potential. It was a big swing by Holmes, the same GM who found Amon-Ra St. Brown in the fourth round. If it hits, it could be a home run. TeSlaa likes to model his game after Rams star Puka Nacua, a problem for defenses on the outside or the inside, against man or zone. Nacua is also fearless coming across the middle, or going up for a ball in the air. Or digging out a safety down the field.
"He uses his size, you can put him in motion, he can block in the run game, great in play-action," said TeSlaa. "I just think he does so many things well, and I think that’s something I can bring to the table."
When TeSlaa sat down with Holmes and Campbell in Allen Park, they instantly hit it off. They talked life and talked ball, he said, and "I just got such a good feel for the culture here. The Lions are good for a reason, and they were able to turn this program around for a reason."
"Obviously they’ve done incredible in the draft these past few years, so it’s cool to be a part of that," he said.
The Lions will enter this season with a deep and talented room of receivers. But look another year or two down the line, and it starts to thin out. While the Lions picked up Jameson Williams' fifth-year option, Holmes is unsure they can afford to extend him. They may have to entertain trading him next year before he hits free agency. Patrick and Kalif Raymond are free agents after this season. There's a world in which the only receivers here now who are here in 2026 are St. Brown and TeSlaa.
That certainly justified investing in the position in this year's draft. The return on TeSlaa will dictate whether the move to get him was worth it. His story is worth rooting for, like TeSlaa once did -- still does -- for the Lions. In his first game at Ford Field, TeSlaa ran for two touchdowns and threw for another as he led Unity Christian to its first state championship in football. His next will come in the NFL, for a team in pursuit of its first Super Bowl.
"Obviously, it’s been not only a dream to play in the NFL, but to play for my hometown team, the team I’ve rooted for since I’ve been a baby," he said. "It’s just an incredible feeling."