The Detroit Lions will be hoping for development from their sophomore stars to help them reach the playoffs again. One such player is wide receiver Issac TeSlaa, who showed glimpses of greatness last season.

In TeSlaa’s rookie season, he had 16 receptions for 239 yards and scored six touchdowns and was a red-zone weapon for quarterback Jared Goff. However, if wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery’s comments on TeSlaa’s progress are true, the Lions might have their third receiving option for next season.

“He’s done a good job of going and getting the football since he’s been here, and then now at the top of his breaks, they’re so much cleaner,” said Montgomery. “ He’s so much stronger.” 

This development is great news for the Lions, as a stronger and more reliable third receiving option would give Jared Goff another consistent weapon in the passing game and significantly boost their offensive depth heading into the playoffs.

Montgomery, while talking to MLive’s Jacob Richman, also added that, as per his analysis, TeSlaa is much better than last season.

“What I like to do is I like to watch where we were, especially from an athleticism standpoint, to where he is now,” added Montgomery. “It’s not even close.”

What’s important to note is that the former third-round pick recorded eight catches for 119 yards and scored two touchdowns in the last three games of the season. However, Montgomery also mentioned what he believes TeSlaa needs to improve on his acceleration to become a more attractive passing option for Goff.

“That gives him the ability in those one-on-one situations and not just win with length but to win with quickness and length,” said Montgomery. “That gives, of course, (Goff) just an even bigger window to throw the football.”

While TeSlaa cannot displace Amon-Ra St. Brown as WR1 or Jameson Williams for WR2, with the Lions letting Kalif Reymond leave in free agency, we could be seeing more of TeSlaa next season.

Meanwhile, an undrafted free agent wide receiver signing from last season could see a change in his position.

UDFA from last season could be changing his position

Last season, a position where the Lions faced major issues was the tight end position. After injuries to star Sam LaPorta and backup Brock Wright, who also had to miss some time, the Lions were forced to use undrafted free agent wide receiver Jackson Meeks.

Now, going into the 2026 season, he could be staying put at the TE position, according to Mike Payton of AtoZ Sports.

Meeks, during mandatory minicamp, was training at the tight end position and also weighed in at 25 pounds heavier than last year’s 210 pounds. New offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has talked about valuing versatility, and according to Payton, a lineup that would include LaPorta, Wright, and Meeks is just what Petzing would be interested in.

However, Payton also raised concerns over Meeks’ ability to block, considering that he was a wide receiver at first. But Meeks’ stats indicate that he might be better than most expect.

In his final year at Syracuse, Meeks had a run blocker grade of 75.5, and according to PFF, his overall preseason run block grade was 88.5.

However, Meeks still has to make the Lions’ final 53-man roster, and if he does, we could see him being used in the tight end position in certain situations.

Do you think Meeks is a good option to have at the tight end position? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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Written by

Dhruv Vishnu Nair

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi