Two Key Improvements Isaac TeSlaa Can Make to Elevate Game in 2026

Detroit Lions are very fond of second-year wideout.

Detroit Lions assistant head coach and wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery talks to wideout Isaac TeSlaa | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions correctly have elevated expectations for second-year wideout Isaac TeSlaa.

Head coach Dan Campbell told reporters at the annual league meetings the former Arkansas wideout certainly improved the most throughout the course of his rookie season.

For the 24-year-old wideout, he feels two key improvements in his game can really pay dividends in 2026.

"The biggest thing is just quickness and separation, adding just a little bit more to my game will really help," TeSlaa said at the end of the 2025 NFL season.

Detroit was able to see significant contributions from three rookies drafted last year.

"We feel like he's taken off. We feel like he was one of those guys that really, you'd be hard-pressed to say that he didn't make the most growth of a rookie," Campbell said. "Now, Tyleik Williams did a great job. We thought Tate Ratledge got better. But man, I really thought TeSlaa, it's not easy for a receiver. It's not easy for any of them."

The coaching staff was able to see how TeSlaa handled changes in plans and how he steadily developed a connection with veteran quarterback Jared Goff.

"There were some games we lost (Amon-Ra St. Brown), he had to go in and play that position. Right before the game, second play of the game, he's got to do it all," Campbell said. "So, we like him. He's got a bright future for us."

Detroit was willing to trade multiple third-round draft picks to move up a significant amount to land his services, a decision that has come with a certain level of criticism.

"He can do it all. He's tough, he's big," Campbell noted. "Body control and catch radius is, I think, kind of his trick."

Early in his career, TeSlaa felt a little uptight, but felt his confidence level increase. He had multiple highlight-reel grabs, highlighting that he has the potential to be a reliable "X" receiver for the foreseeable future.

"I remember coming in here and being so nervous for camp and I felt like I had all this pressure on me," TeSlaa told reporters at the end of his rookie campaign. "So, I felt like when I first got here, I was a little uptight with the way I was playing.

"As I continued to go out throughout the season, I felt the confidence in myself and the people around me. It just allowed me to loosen up and have more confidence in myself and allowed me to play better throughout the season."