The Detroit Lions traded up to take offensive tackle Giovanni Manu in the third round of the 2024 draft knowing he would be a project coming out of the University of British Columbia. He indeed had a “redshirt year” as a rookie, being a healthy scratch for every game as he started his climb up the NFL learning curve.
Manu’s athleticism (4.96 40-yard dash and a 33.5-inch vertical at the combine) at 6-foot-8 and 335 pounds has been undeniable to observers from the moment he arrived at Allen Park. He just needs to hone his football skills, and college competition in Canada was not a challenge on that front.
After the season, teammates (namely Penei Sewell) and general manager Brad Holmes both praised the work Manu had put in.
“If you watched the film of Gio in OTAs and you watched the film of Gio in practice (at the end of the year), it really was night and day,” Holmes said at his end-of-season press conference. “That’s credit to Hank (Fraley) and Steve Oliver and all those guys just working with him and a credit to him because he was conscious that he improve.”
Lions OT Giovanni Manu shows development progress in workout video
Manu has been working out at OLP Performance in Arizona this offseason. Founded by former NFL offensive lineman LeCharles Bentley, it has become popular offensive line training program and facility. The company’s mission statement is spelled out as directly as possible.
“At OLP, we believe offensive line isn’t just a position, but a way of living. The intensive focus and training required to develop the necessary skill sets to play this position is second to none. Everything about offensive line is learned, and that learning needs to be nurtured in an intensive environment surrounded by likeminded individuals.”
In a video posted by the company on Saturday, Manu showed off his rare mix of strength and athleticism along with some improved footwork in some drills.
Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire noted how much better Manu’s footwork looked in the video.
“From a Lions standpoint, the footwork drills near the end of the video are really encouraging. Manu looks much quicker and more fluid with his footwork than anything we saw last summer.”
Manu should compete with Dan Skipper to be the Lions’ No. 3/”swing” tackle heading into next season. An original plan to move to make him a guard could also be revisited, in light of Kevin Zeitler’s departure.
