Detroit Lions provide some positional clarity on Giovanni Manu, Sione Vaki

Detroit Lions assistant general manager Ray Angew provided clarity on how the team plans to use rookies Giovanni Manu and Sione Vaki.

As the Detroit Lions kick off rookie minicamp, assistant general manager Ray Agnew spoke on the team’s 2024 draft class for the first time. Most notably, Agnew provided a little bit of clarity on what positions two of Detroit’s most interesting draft picks—fourth-rounders Giovanni Manu and Sione Vaki—will start camp at.

Manu played most of his college career at left tackle, and at 6-foot-8, 350 pounds seemed destined to stay there. However, Manu revealed in post-draft interviews that the Lions view him more as a right guard. But after the first minicamp practice, Manu clarified that since he’s landed in Detroit, the conversation has exclusively been at tackle.

“I think they really like me at tackle, to be honest,” Manu said. “Today was all tackle reps. There haven’t been much discussions at guard. The only time we discussed guard was when I came here in my visit. They asked me if I had played guard before, but other than that, it’s all been tackle. That’s fine with me because I feel comfortable playing left tackle. I think that’s kind of the goal right now is to keep me there.”

Agnew, too, initially referred to him as a tackle, and noted that he couldn’t be in a better position to learn tackle.

“What better place to come and learn how to be an offensive tackle in the National Football League than playing behind Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker?” Agnew said. “You’ve got time to learn and then be coached by Hank Fraley.”

That said, Agnew said that they plan on cross-training Manu at both guard and tackle—as they do with many of their young, versatile players.

“We’ll cross-train a lot of guys. We’ll cross-train him at guard and tackle,” Agnew said. ‘That’s what we’ll discuss with Dan (Campbell), Ben (Johnson), and Hank (Fraley), and me. But we’ll do a lot of that cross-training at guard and tackle. But he can do both. He can bend well enough to play guard, and he’s athletic and long enough to play tackle.”

As for Vaki, it’s clear the Lions currently value him as a special teamer, and it sounds like he’ll start mostly at running back. He exclusively repped at running back during the opening practice Friday, he’s officially listed as a back on the roster, and while Agnew views him more as a back, he admitted that it will ultimately be up to the coaching staff.

“We see him as a running back. Our coaches will decide how to deal with him.”

Of course, Vaki’s immediate impact will likely be on special teams, The rookie out of Utah said he believes special teams—particularly the new kickoff rule—accentuate his talents.

“I feel like it’s catered to my skill set, being close to the box and things like that. Being able to be explosive right off the bat. We’re only 5 yards away.”