Why Lions WR Isaac TeSlaa has limited targets, and when that will change

Through two games, Detroit Lions receiver Isaac TeSlaa has just six targets and two catches—one being a garbage time conversion on fourth-and-18 while down 17 points with about two minutes left. Given how much draft capital the Lions have spent on the second-year receiver, some fans have expressed frustration with his lack of production.

On Wednesday, Lions associate head coach and wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery addressed TeSlaa’s lack of production so far. The main reasoning for it has little to do with TeSlaa himself and more to do with the fact that the Lions are just extremely deep when it comes to weapons in the passing game. TeSlaa is essentially fifth in line behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, and Jahmyr Gibbs.

“Tes, his opportunities are going to be limited just because of how we’re built as an offense, whether it be at tight end or it be at wideout, whether it be in the backfield, who we have a phenomenal player in the backfield,” Montgomery said. “So what he’s going to have to do is—all of his (opportunities) are going to be critical. They’re going to be fourth down, they’re going to be red zone, they’re going to be third downs.”

Montgomery said teams have played Detroit’s offense a little differently than in previous years. The Lions are used to defenses shading coverages toward St. Brown, but the All-Pro receiver has surprisingly been put in a lot of one-on-one situations. There’s been very little need for Jared Goff to go beyond his first or second progressions thus far. But Montgomery expects that to eventually change—especially this week against the Jets and Aaron Glenn, who knows how dangerous St. Brown can be. That is when TeSlaa is going to have to show up.

“We have to judge [TeSlaa] off of those plays until we get everything rolling to a point to where we are equally distributing because of the coverage and how they’re moving to Saint,” Montgomery said. “But at this point in time right now, it’s been really one of those situations where a lot of times our first in progression has been open, our second in progression has been open, and sometimes when you’re not first or second in the progression, you have to wait until you get going.”

In the meantime, TeSlaa has been doing everything right away from the play. That involves doing the dirty work of blocking, being physical, and sometimes being so tight to the line that he’s essentially playing as another tight end.

“Right now, he’s playing harder than damn-near anybody that we have on our offensive side of the ball,” Montgomery said. “He is mixing it up, he’s physical. And that’s what you have to do when you’re in that role. A lot of guys have never played in that role.”

Montgomery believes as TeSlaa continues to gain this reputation as a dirty-work player that is an asset in the run game, they will be able to build plays off those tendencies. That’s when TeSlaa could become a serious weapon in a room full of weapons.

“When you look at that, those situations the dirty work, all of those plays that no one else wants to make—and now because of that, we’re able to use those tendencies and create a bigger play for him in the game because some of the dirty work that he has,” Montgomery said. “And then all of a sudden, it’s that, ‘We’ve got to get him the ball more.’ So we look forward to those things happening.”

TeSlaa was taken the the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft after Detroit traded two 2026 third-round picks to come up and get him. In his career, he has 18 catches for 265 yards and six touchdowns, although much of his production came after LaPorta went down with an injury last year. The production may not be there, but Montgomery believes they are still getting plenty of value out of him.

“For what he’s able to do for us, he’s able to stretch the field, he can block in the box—those two deals don’t usually work together Outside receivers usually don’t have the ability to block (in) the box,” Montgomery said. “He gives us the ability now to take some of those shots off of Saint, use Saint in different situations. He can also clear down the middle of the field. He has short-area quickness in some of those tight spots where he’s a big body, he can make plays. We’ll start to see more of it as we go forward, but he has a tremendous value on this team.”