Isaac TeSlaa gave the Detroit Lions a much-needed jolt at the end of Sunday’s practice, climbing over Ennis Rakestraw for a contested touchdown grab that stood out in a camp where the rookie receiver has been fighting to find his footing.
TeSlaa has been under a bright spotlight throughout his second training camp, and not just because of what the Lions gave up to get him. Detroit used a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on the former Arkansas wideout, with Brad Holmes moving multiple third-round selections to make the move. That kind of investment comes with expectations, and after the flashes TeSlaa showed in his rookie season, there was real buzz that 2026 could be his breakout year.
Instead, camp has brought a different story so far. TeSlaa has been inconsistent, and drops against the Bengals added to the concern around a player the team clearly believes in.
Through the first two weeks of practice, he has had trouble creating separation and has not been a major presence in either individual drills or team work. Before Sunday’s grab, Detroit Football Network described his practice as “invisible.”
TeSlaa said afterward that he has to move on quickly from rough stretches and keep pushing forward.
“You’ve got to flush it right away. The big thing for me is I can catch the football.
There’s no doubt about that," said TeSlaa. "I think the biggest things for me is winning on the releases and running good routes and making sure I’m open.
I feel like I did that well. So, it’s just a matter of finishing the play, which has never been a problem for me in my football career.”
The touchdown came late in the session in front of season-ticket members. Jared Goff called for TeSlaa to run a fade, and the receiver worked free from Ennis Rakestraw before going up to secure the ball for the score.
“He’s been waiting for me to win on a release like that. So, just the fact that I was able to do that, stack the guy and he threw a perfect ball where I can go up and get it, things just shook out greatly," said TeSlaa. "It was nice to score on fourth down like that.”
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