When the Detroit Lions traded up into the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft to select Giovanni Manu, the move was made with a clear eye for the future. For Manu, an offensive line prospect from the University of British Columbia with scant football experience, the present tense is all about learning and developing.
That’s something that has been as evident during Lions OTAs. Offensive line coach Hank Fraley has spent considerable time teaching the basics to Manu. It’s not been a quick or easy process for Manu, according to Lions head coach Dan Campbell.
“Yes, he’s swimming. He is swimming,” coach Campbell said before the start of this week’s mandatory minicamp. “But we expected him to be swimming. We fully expected this to get worse before it ever gets better. He’s trying to find his way.”
[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]
As Campbell continued, he described in detail a player who has to be taught just about everything needed to actually play offensive line.
“We’re back to the basics of how you get into a stance properly, where your weight goes, when you get out of a stance, where your help is, certainly the scheme, the MIKE, working with others, working with the tight end in this combination, working with the guard, pass and twist – he’s just in the infant stages of here we go.”
It’s not a surprise that Manu is a raw project. Campbell himself acknowledged that, noting that “we’re literally working from the ground up, and we knew it was going to be that way.”
It’s a clear indication that the team isn’t expecting much of a rookie contribution from the supremely athletic Manu. Much like Brodric Martin last season, Manu’s rookie campaign will be about learning how to do everything it takes to be a professional football player. The Lions are betting on the athleticism and driven character of Manu, as well as the developmental prowess of Fraley and the coaching staff, will pay big dividends down the road.