The Detroit Lions have been fueled by their offensive line over the past couple of years but the group faces significant changes heading into the 2025 season. While Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker are cornerstone bookends, the interior of the line has plenty of questions as Kevin Zeitler departed for the Tennessee Titans in free agency.
With Graham Glasgow getting older and two draft picks joining the mix, it’s imperative that young players have a strong performance at OTAs. One Lions sophomore is particularly feeling the heat as he looks to work his way into the lineup entering his second season in the NFL.
Giovanni Manu Must Show Improvement During Lions OTAs
The Lions didn’t get many immediate returns from their 2024 draft class and part of that was the selection of offensive lineman Giovanni Manu. The 24-year-old was a fourth-round pick by the Lions in last year’s draft and came as a surprise after standing out at the University of British Columbia.
While the Lions were intrigued by his upside, he was inactive for all 17 games in his rookie season. General manager Brad Holmes was one who still believes Manu had room for some growth and noted his improvement during his end of season press conference last January.
“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 was really night and day,” Holmes said via Lions team reporter Tim Twentyman. “That’s credit to [Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley and assistant offensive line coach Steve Oliver] and all those guys just working with him and a credit to him because he was conscious that he improve.”
Dan Campbell also expressed the possibility that he could move to guard this offseason but those plans may be up in the air after adding Georgia’s Tate Ratledge and LSU’s Miles Frazier in last month’s draft. Either way, Manu must show that he can handle the rigors of the NFL coming into OTAs.
If Manu shows improvement, he should have a spot on the roster as a recent fourth-round pick. If he struggles, it could open the door to Jamarco Jones or Colby Sorsdal to keep their spot on the roster, putting an end to the Manu experiment before it even starts.