Two years ago, the Detroit Lions rolled the dice on a highly polarizing offensive lineman. They took Giovanni Manu, an unknown prospect out of British Columbia, as a developmental tackle in the fourth round.
Manu wasn't on many teams' radars, so it felt like they could've gotten him much later, perhaps even as an undrafted free agent. Even so, using a fourth-round pick on a potential future starter or rotational piece wasn't too bad at the time.
Fast forward to today, and Manu has been a total waste of a draft pick. And now that he hasn't even been able to practice due to yet another injury, it's hard to envision a scenario where the Lions keep him past roster-cut day.
The Detroit Lions may finally give up on Giovanni Manu
Manu has been out for the past month with an undisclosed injury. He passed his physical but began to feel discomfort after a couple of practices, and the team placed him on the Non-Football Injury list.
He was expected to be out for at least three months, meaning that the team would have to keep him on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list if they kept him on the 53-man roster. That said, there aren't many incentives to do so.
Granted, the Lions are still scrambling for solutions on the offensive line. Losing Taylor Decker was a big blow at tackle, and with Cade Mays also out for a while, they're shaking things up to find a stopgap at center.
That said, it's not like Manu had done much to earn an opportunity in his two years with the organization. He didn't play a single game as a rookie, and a knee injury in 2025 cost him most of the campaign.
Thus far, he's played a whopping 69 snaps, 62 of which came during his lone start in 2025. The team also worked him out at guard, and the cross-training sessions might hint that he may simply never pan out at tackle.
It's hard to evaluate him now that he's hurt, but the mere fact that the Lions haven't even mentioned his name as a potential solution once he's healthy speaks volumes about his chances of making the roster.
General manager Brad Holmes gambled and lost; it happens; it's a part of life in the NFL Draft. Now, it's time to cut the losses and let him go. There are only so many roster spots, and they can definitely put Manu's to better use.
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