The Detroit Lions have made moves following the NFL Draft, letting go of wide receiver Antoine Green, who has struggled with injuries throughout his brief career.
On April 29, the Lions officially released Green with an injury designation. A seventh-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Green mainly contributed on special teams during his rookie season, recording just one catch for two yards across nine games.
His career trajectory changed drastically during the 2024 preseason. As Jimmy Liao of USA Today’s Lions Wire explained, “Unfortunately, an injury in the 2024 preseason significantly altered his career. In the first preseason game, Green suffered a reported concussion and was waived with an injury designation just four days later. The waiver was a surprise as most concussions can return-to-play within 2 weeks. For example, Hendon Hooker had a concussion in that same game and returned to play nine days later.”
Green missed the entire 2024 season but returned this year on a futures contract, hoping to earn a reserve spot or a place on the practice squad. That plan came to a halt with his release.
Meanwhile, the Lions have bolstered their wide receiver corps. The team selected Arkansas standout Isaac TeSlaa in the third round and Georgia’s Dominic Lovett in the seventh, also signing undrafted receivers Jackson Meeks (Syracuse) and Jakobie Keeney-James (UMass).
The Lions made a bold move for TeSlaa, trading up from pick No. 102 to No. 70 to secure him. General manager Brad Holmes didn’t hide his enthusiasm: “I do love all of them,” Holmes said via the Detroit News. “I’ll give you this, though: The pick that was probably the most questioned, I would say, was Isaac TeSlaa. I can say that he was my favorite wide receiver in this draft. I’m not saying he was the best wide receiver in the draft. But favorite wide receiver in the draft? Yes.”
Holmes also noted that TeSlaa made a strong impression at the Senior Bowl, especially with his physicality in the run game: “Just saw how he was in the run game in the team periods,” he said via the team’s official website. “Just his blocking and his size and he was just being a pest, and he was pissing off the DBs and defenders.”
TeSlaa brings big-play potential to the Lions’ offense. The 6-foot-4 receiver averaged 19.5 yards per catch over two seasons at Arkansas, racking up 897 yards on 62 receptions without a single drop.
