Notes: ESPN insider gives important context to Lions’ selection of Isaac TeSlaa

For sure, essentially the most controversial choose of the Detroit Lions’ 2025 NFL Draft was their third-round number of Arkansas receiver Isaac TeSlaa. Not solely did the Lions take him forward of many projections of his draft place, however they used a pair of future third-round picks to maneuver up from 102 to 70 to accumulate him (and two sixth-round picks in return).

Whereas the transfer drew criticisms each from Lions followers and NFL analysts, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler produced an article this week that supplied some vital context to the TeSlaa choice. At first, Fowler defined how TeSlaa launched his draft worth late within the course of—one thing the media might haven’t caught up with.

“However Isaac TeSlaa is a chief instance of why the predraft course of issues,” Fowler wrote. “TeSlaa was off the draft radar and needed to scramble to get an invitation to the Hula Bowl, which led to an invitation to the Senior Bowl. He carried out properly at each, then caught scouts’ consideration on the mix by working a 4.43-second 40 at 6-foot-4 and 214 kilos. Had TeSlaa not gotten that Hula Bowl invite, his draft positioning would have regarded far totally different.”

Moreover, there’s the problem of his lack of manufacturing at Arkansas. Whereas TeSlaa racked up 68 catches, 1,325 yards, and 13 touchdowns in his last season at Hillsdale School, when he transferred to Arkansas, that manufacturing dipped considerably. He had simply 34 catches for 351 yards his first 12 months, and 28 catches for 546 yards in 2024.

Fowler says when groups began to do deeper analysis into his state of affairs, there have been some cheap explanations for the shortage of manufacturing.

“However as soon as groups began to see him up shut, they scheduled interviews with him and did their analysis on why he didn’t get the ball at Arkansas. It wasn’t due to angle or work ethic points — his character shined within the course of, turning into Detroit GM Brad Holmes’ favourite participant within the draft. Some attributed his low manufacturing in faculty to lack of communication and inexperience at quarterback,” Fowler wrote.

After deciding on TeSlaa, Holmes stated one thing related, noting that their concern of his lack of manufacturing was eased after attending to know him.

“Going to Arkansas and the upper manufacturing the 12 months earlier than after which it dipped down and simply the reason from there, I believed he dealt with it very professionally,” Holmes stated.

As for the commerce up, it’s unattainable to know when TeSlaa would have gone had Detroit not made the transfer. Nonetheless, Fowler factors out that there have been a number of groups proper after Decide 70 that did intensive analysis on the wideout.

“TeSlaa additionally had nice predraft processes with the New Orleans Saints (No. 71) and the Buffalo Payments (No. 72), so it wasn’t misplaced on TeSlaa that Detroit traded straight in entrance of these two, plus Denver at No. 74, which went to receiver Pat Bryant,” Fowler wrote.

After J.B. Bickerstaff misplaced out on NBA Coach of the 12 months this week, it’s formally Detroit vs. All people season once more, as Kerby Joseph notes:

Because the Lions’ offseason program continues, the crew retains dropping photograph galleries of the on-field work. Listed here are some current photographs. Notably, Derrick Barnes is on the market training, after lacking many of the 2024 season with a torn ACL and MCL.

Congrats to Donovan Peoples-Jones!