Isaac TeSlaa came into Lions camp with the kind of buzz that usually follows a young receiver who flashed in a small sample and looks built for more. After a rookie season where he stood out in limited chances, the appeal was obvious: size, speed and a profile that made him look different from the rest of Detroit’s pass-catching group. At minimum, he looked like a real red zone option.
But the early read from camp has been a little less shiny.
Richard Silva of The Detroit News described the first stretch of practices as quiet for TeSlaa, especially when it comes to the kind of contested catches he was making last year.
"It's so far been a quiet training camp for him (TeSlaa), as he hasn't quite been able to come down with the type of contested catches we saw him make last season, both in training camp and during the regular season."
That matters because TeSlaa had been viewed as the clear favorite for the WR3 job, with no real challenger unless injury changed the picture. Yet Dan Campbell has made a point of reinforcing competition throughout camp, and his comments before Monday’s first padded practice suggested Cedrick Wilson is not just along for the ride.
Campbell had plenty to say when asked about Wilson, and he did not hide his enthusiasm.
"Man, he’s heads-y, he’s crafty. He’s a different body type, a different type of receiver for us.
He’s smooth, there’s a little slither to him; he’s a little slippery and he’s got really good body control,” Campbell said. “I mean, you saw the back shoulder catch in the back of the end zone, it was a hell of a throw by Teddy [Bridgewater].
But man, he just gets it."
“There’s nothing better than freaking vets, man, true pros that get it. They know how to go about their business, man.
They come in here, they compete. They’re not entitled, they just go work, man and that’s what he does."
Campbell added that Wilson has also shown value on special teams.
“And by the way, his special teams reps are pretty good too. I mean, for a receiver, he can do some stuff and his tape says that too.”
He later expanded on that point, saying Wilson had looked smart in both coverage and return work before pads were even on. In a roster battle, that kind of versatility counts.
TeSlaa did play 64 special teams snaps as a rookie, so he is not coming from zero in that area. Still, Wilson profiles as what coaches would call a potential "four-phase" contributor, able to help on both kickoff and punt coverage and return units. If Wilson is pushing hard enough to threaten TeSlaa’s grip on WR3, the special teams piece becomes part of a bigger conversation.
Campbell is rarely subtle when he wants to send a message, and the timing here stood out. The head coach’s praise for Wilson came the day after TeSlaa had a rough practice, which makes the competition at receiver look a little less settled than it did when camp opened.
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