General manager Brad Holmes and the Detroit Lions have never been afraid to make bold moves, and they did exactly that last offseason in a major trade up on draft day for wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa.
Detroit moved up 30 spots last April to acquire TeSlaa atop the third round, sending away a pair of future picks to the Jacksonville Jaguars to get their wide receiver. As a result, the Lions are without a third-round pick in this year’s draft.
With the 2026 NFL Draft upon us, let’s revisit the TeSlaa trade
and see how things fare after one year.
Original terms of the Isaac TeSlaa trade up by the Detroit Lions in 2025
- Detroit Lions receive: 2025 third-round pick (No. 72 overall), 2025 sixth-round pick (No. 182 overall), 2026 sixth-round pick (213)
- Jacksonville Jaguars receive: 2025 third-round pick (No. 102 overall), 2026 third-round pick (No. 81 overall), 2026 third-round pick (No. 100 overall)
Who did the Detroit Lions take with the picks from the Isaac TeSlaa trade?
The Lions traded up for Isaac TeSlaa, taking him with the No. 72 pick. They then used the No. 182 pick in a later trade, moving up 11 spots with the New England Patriots to take guard Miles Frazier. Detroit sent back an extra seventh-round pick in that second trade.
They have the 213th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, too. We will update when the pick is used.
How did Isaac TeSlaa perform in his rookie season?
TeSlaa ended up being Detroit’s No. 4 receiver as a rookie behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Kalif Raymond. He had a couple of highlight-reel catches, finishing the year with 16 catches for 239 yards and six touchdowns.
The red zone and deep threat capabilities were both keys to why Detroit took him at No. 72, and they were both seen in flashes during TeSlaa’s rookie year. He’s now slated to be the No. 3 receiver in 2026.
Who did the Jaguars take with their picks from the Isaac TeSlaa trade?
Jacksonville traded up after acquiring the No. 102 pick. They moved up 13 spots to take guard Wyatt Milum, sending a fifth-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings, while receiving a seventh-round pick as well in the deal.
In the 2026 NFL Draft, they have the 81st and 100th overall picks. We will update when they are used.
How did the Lions do in the Isaac TeSlaa trade?
This was certainly a bold move from Brad Holmes and Co., as Detroit had a major overpay on most trade value charts by giving up the three third-rounders for Teslaa.
But all will be forgiven if Teslaa breaks out into a high-quality receiver for the Lions. He should get more opportunities as a second-year pro, although he’ll still be working behind Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown, but his skillset fits the offense and his size in the red zone is a major plus.
Still, though, it was considered a bit of a reach at the time, and it doesn’t help that Detroit made a major move to add the wideout as well with the amount of capital they gave up.
