Draft grades: Lions’ selection of Giovanni Manu gets average mark

Grading the Detroit Lions’ selection of University of British Columbia OT Giovanni Manuin in the 2024 NFL Draft.

After trading up in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday, the Detroit Lions traded up again, this time on Saturday in the fourth round, and selected offensive tackle Giovanni Manu from the University of British Columbia with pick 126. The Lions traded with the New York Jets to acquire the pick and gave up a 2025 third-round pick to move up.

The biggest takeaway when discussing Manu is that he is a project. Now that the Lions are a playoff team, a favorite to win the NFC North, and a legitimate Super Bowl threat, they don’t need their Day 3 picks to be instant starters or someone who will see the field a lot in their rookie season.

Manu is not going to be asked to start in 2024 obviously, but he could see some play on special teams to get that experience and develop more overall as a player. Manu is huge as he is 6-foot-8 and weighs 350 pounds, but don’t let the size fool you. Manu ran a 5.06 40-yard dash, giving him a great chance to be the Lions’ next swing tackle. With his speed, he can lead the charge on an outside toss play or a screen pass. He doesn’t just have experience at tackle either, as he has played at guard. While that transition is unlikely at the NFL, the Lions like their lineman to have versatility.

Manu is a two-time Second-Team All-Canadian and has enough physical traits to eventually if develop into a starter. Of course, there is never any guarantee he reaches that full potential.

He is being labeled as the best-kept secret in the draft as well. Manu has only played football since he was a freshman in high school, and he didn’t just play football, he also was a basketball player.

The Lions do need some help at the offensive line when it comes to depth, outside of Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker as starters, the only backup tackles on the roster right now are Dan Skipper and Connor Galvin. Age is another issue when discussing the offensive line, as the average age of the starting five right now is 29 years old. While Sewell is the youngest guy on the line, Decker is 30 and approaching a contract extension talk soon as well.

For a team that loves the trenches, getting younger and deeper is important and that is what this pick represents. Offensive line coach Frank Haley has been great at developing the Lions offensive line and now Manu gets to be a student under Haley and potentially turn into a future starting offensive lineman.

My only issue with the pick is what Detroit gave up for him. In the first round, Detroit gave up a third-round pick to move up five spots in the first round, and on Saturday they traded a future third-round pick to acquire Manu. I understand giving up a third-round pick, future or not, for a player you expect to become a starter or someone you think can hit the field immediately. This isn’t that.

The Lions did need depth at offensive tackle, so drafting a player at that position isn’t an issue, but giving up a future third-round pick for a player who projects to be a swing tackle and isn’t trustworthy enough to be a starter his rookie year is a questionable decision. If Manu develops well and the team isn’t able to keep Decker around, then this pick is a great steal, but that feels like a long shot.

People think it’s a crime to judge any pick that Lions general manager Brad Holmes takes but I don’t care. This pick itself is fine. I don’t like where the team took Manu, and for that, it gets a lower grade.

Grade: C-