The Detroit Lions are not afraid to go international. They showed that last year when they drafted Tongan-born Canadian offensive lineman Giovanni Manu in the fourth-round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The idea with Manu is that he has unbelievable size, athleticism, and strength, but that he’s green. The Lions want to fashion him into being a dominant tackle in the NFL and so far, it looks like they’re on the right track with that. We could see Manu get in some snaps in 2025 and maybe even be a starter in 2026.
This is one of the benefits of being a good team. You get to have projects that you can spend draft picks on and see if you can turn them into big help. The Lions aren’t likely to stop doing that after Manu. They’ll probably keep their eyes on other international talent. We have the guy they should definitely be looking at somewhere in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Australian rugby player Laitia Moceidreke. The 6-foot-6 wing joining the NFL’s Internation Pathways Program this year and he brings something that a lot of players that have joined the program haven’t been able to bring. He’s been studying and training for the game at the NFL’s Gold Coast academy for the last year.
Where things get interesting for Moceidreke is that he can either be an edge rusher or a tight end. According to Will Bryce who heads up the academy, Moceidreke has the length, explosiveness, speed, and quickness to be able to set the edge in the NFL.
As a tight end, Bryce says Moceidreke’s ability to go up and get the ball could help him stand out. He says his catch radius should impress NFL teams.
The big thing here is that the Lions love versatility. It’s almost a requirement to play in Detroit at this point. You have to be able to do more than one thing. Even their long snapper can also play linebacker if they need him to.
That’s why Moeceidreke makes a lot of sense for Detroit because they could see him as a guy like Sione Vaki who could contribute in all three phases of the game. The athleticism is there for sure, he just needs some time to get more acclimated to the game.
That’s really where the IPP works best for teams. Unlike Manu, the Lions could stash Moeceidreke on the practice squad in that 17th spot designated for IPP players. Detroit wouldn’t have to stash him on the 53-man roster.
If Moeceidreke does get drafted, he’s much more likely to get picked later in the draft like the seventh-round. This wouldn’t be a situation where the Lions would trade up for him in the draft and send away future assets for a long-term project. If not Detroit, then somewhere. This guy is pretty likely to wind up on a roster this year.