The Detroit Lions traded up into the fourth round in order to draft Giovanni Manu, a massive offensive tackle from the University of British Columbia.
Standing at a massive 6-foot-7 and 352 pounds, the Tonga native was a relative unknown for most heading into this draft. Despite not going to the NFL Scouting Combine or getting much attention from draft experts, he impressed Detroit’s front office enough during both his pro day and his top-30 visit to warrant them giving up draft capital to nab him.
Manu played both tackle and guard for UBC and his size fits more to what Detroit likes at the guard position. In many ways, he’s a similar player to 2023 draft pick Colby Sorsdal.
His tape shows Manu is a physical player with athleticism that is simply unbelievable given how large his frame is. He is a very raw prospect who will need experience playing football in the United States against higher-quality talent. Training camp and the preseason will reveal much more about Manu as a football player.
Given that Detroit has its starting five linemen solidified already, we know Manu will not be getting first-team reps anytime soon.
Instead, he is a developmental piece who hopefully will mold himself into an NFL-caliber player in a few years. For now, he should be a reserve player at either the guard or tackle spots for Detroit.