The one Lions rookie who has the best opportunity to win Rookie of the Year

The 2025 NFL Draft is in the books for the Detroit Lions, and we still feel like they had one heck of a draft despite some giving it a failing grade. Keep in mind, draft experts consistently rally against Brad Holmes and the Lions because he consistently picks against what they think the draft should look like. So don't take it personally. 

I was recently asked the question about which one of these guys could really stand out to the league in 2025, and could any of them win the Rookie of the Year award? 

Right now, I don't think any of them will win it. At the end of the day, that award typically goes to players who are selected higher in the draft and have big-time outputs. While I think these guys will all have strong outputs in their own ways, it'll be hard to go against some of the quarterbacks or edge rushers taken earlier. 

With that said, if there's one rookie that I think has the best chance to come out and steal the award, I think it's Isaac TeSlaa. 

The reason is that it could be the story that wins over voters. Here's a guy that wasn't on a lot of teams' radars until he wowed at the Senior Bowl and Combine and then wowed some more with all the top-30 visits he had. Suddenly, teams were really into him, and a little bidding war went down for him on day two. The Lions won that war. 

I think TeSlaa comes in and supplants Tim Patrick for that WR3 X-receiver role and immediately becomes a big part of this offense. Obviously Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams will get first dibs on the ball, but TeSlaa should be a big presence in the red zone. With that comes more opportunities for touchdowns, and more touchdowns mean more notoriety and more notoriety means more votes. 

On top of that, he has the ability to stretch the field a bit as well. Don't rule out some big play opportunities here. 

We'll see what happens in due time. Like I said, it'll be hard, but you never know. An honorable mention would be Ahmed Hassanein. The story is pure gold, and if that guy grabs 8-10 sacks this year, fire up the Disney movie on him.