Lions draft intel on WR Isaac TeSlaa forced GM Brad Holmes to make the trade up
The 2025 NFL Draft is in the books. With the draft classes full, we have a sense of what a team's strategy was in the draft. Teams can lie all they want before the draft, but once the draft is complete, the proof is in the pudding.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler dove into the intel and shared some draft nuggets from all 32 teams following the draft. We'll dive into what he said about the Lions, including their move to select Arkansas WR Isaac TeSlaa.
TeSlaa took part in the Hula Bowl and then the Senior Bowl and reportedly blew teams away with his character. According to Fowler, TeSlaa became Lions general manager Brad Holmes' favorite player.
"One of the most compelling stories of Day 2 was Detroit trading up 32 spots to the early third round to take a receiver with 28 catches last season at Arkansas.
"But Isaac TeSlaa is a prime example of why the predraft process matters. TeSlaa was off the draft radar and had to scramble to get an invite to the Hula Bowl, which led to an invite to the Senior Bowl. He performed well at both, then caught scouts' attention at the combine by running a 4.43-second 40 at 6-foot-4 and 214 pounds.
"Had TeSlaa not gotten that Hula Bowl invite, his draft positioning would have looked far different. But once teams started to see him up close, they scheduled interviews with him and did their research on why he didn't get the ball at Arkansas. It wasn't because of attitude or work ethic issues -- his personality shined in the process, becoming Detroit GM Brad Holmes' favorite player in the draft. Some attributed his low production in college to lack of communication and inexperience at quarterback."
The Lions moved from No. 102 to No., 70 to select TeSlaa, jumping over three teams that also had connections to the recevier, sending two 2026 third-round picks to the Jacksonville Jaguars to land TeSlaa.
"TeSlaa also had great predraft processes with the New Orleans Saints (No. 71) and the Buffalo Bills (No. 72), so it wasn't lost on TeSlaa that Detroit traded directly in front of those two, plus Denver at No. 74, which went to receiver Pat Bryant."
The Lions are clearly very high on TeSlaa, given the capital they spent to acquire him. It's easy to believe he can make an immediate impact in the passing game.
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