The Detroit Lions' release of left tackle Taylor Decker in March put an immediate spotlight on All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell, free agent signing Larry Borom, and third-year left tackle Giovanni Manu. Who will protect Jared Goff's blindside in 2026?
Quite frankly, all three need to be considered options. Pro football is an unpredictable and fickle beast, and injuries in the trenches happen at a moment's notice when multiple 300-plus-pounders are falling on top of each other without seeing where they're landing.
That makes potential missed time by Sewell or Borom nerve-racking. Manu's struggles during his lone start, giving up two sacks in 28 snaps and Pro Football Focus branding his effort in a 37-24 win against the Cincinnati Bengals, put Brad Holmes behind the 8-ball at the NFL draft. Manu finished the game with a 42.2 overall grade, 17.5 pass-blocking grade, and a 55.3 run-blocking grade.
Yet there's still hope Holmes could fortify the blindside with a left tackle and keep Sewell where he's been thriving, or he can focus his attention on the edge or the secondary, scoping out offensive skill-position steals if they present themselves, which could potentially thrust Manu into snaps if Detroit suffers enough bad luck.
Giovanni Manu Must Earn Lions Spot This Offseason
There's little known about what Manu could do just yet. The former University of British Columbia Thunderbirds star didn't get any snaps during the 2024 season after being taken in the fourth round of the draft that year. He played in Canadian collegiate competition. That's not your typical NFL background.
From what we've seen, though? The transition to American pro football has not been easy.
Manu's place in the Motor City may not be safe if there isn't a significant improvement over the next few months. Even if the Lions don't spend a pick on a left/swing tackle, the undrafted free agent market will offer young talent who have Power 4 College Football experience.
Back in January, Holmes shared a caveat when asked about Manu's ability to contribute in the future, saying, “Manu, he’s taken steps. I’m not going to sit here and say that we feel convinced that he’s ready to be a major contributor. We hope that he is ... We’re just going to have to wait to see, in terms of when we get started in the offseason program, how he comes back in the OTAs."
Manu doesn't have much time to prove his development will come under head coach Dan Campbell, offensive line coach Hank Fraley, offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, and Co. We'll see how his future is defined soon, especially with the NFL Draft one week away.
More Detroit Lions News and Rumors:
Add us as a preferred source on Google