Film Review: Giovanni Manu Has Very High Ceiling, Still Raw

What can Giovanni Manu bring to Lions in rookie season.

UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu blocks an opponent. / Courtesy Photo/University of British Columbia

The Detroit Lions made a surprising move by trading up in the fourth round to select offensive lineman Giovanni Manu.

He was a little known name for most of the Draft process, but picked up steam late in the lead-up as he had an excellent performance at his Pro Day. With rare athleticism, there's potential for him to be special if he develops.

Now, he'll need time to adjust to the NFL level of competition due to his background playing football in Canada. After shining at the University of British Columbia, he will have to develop at the NFL.

He's also said that the Lions want him to develop into a guard as opposed to his college position of tackle. It will be interesting to follow his process throughout his rookie season.

Here are three takeaways from watching Manu's film at UBC from the 2023 season.

Athleticism

What stands out immediately is Manu's athleticism, as UBC gave him plenty of opportunities to showcase it. Even from the left tackle position, he frequently pulls across the formation on screen plays and RPOs that the Thunderbirds ran.

He showed a natural ability to do so, which would be a good skill to have if he is to indeed transition to the guard position. Manu appears capable of getting across the formation in a hurry on trap-blocks, and doesn't hesitate to get on his assignment right away.

Additionally, he can get out ahead of the play on screens. His speed shines in this aspect, as he can throw the lead block to help spring his skill players. He's able to stay in front of secondary players as a downfield blocker.

Technique

Manu will need to continue developing his technique as he transitions to the NFL level. On certain run plays, he plays too tall and tries to lead with his arms rather than sink his hips and get lower than the defender.

He stands tall rather than getting low, which causes him to be narrow with his body and be off-balance at points. If Manu is to transition to the offensive interior, this is an area where he'll need to grow and become more polished.

When it comes to pass-protection, it seems as though he lets his assignment throw the first punch too often. Rather than punch, he often catches the first move from his opponent and adjusts. His hands are late, which can be a problem.

Yet, he does have strong hands and is more than capable of delivering a pop. If he can synchronize a more disciplined approach in the run and be more aggressive with his hands in pass protection, he'll be in a good place to succeed.

Footwork

At 6-foot-8, Manu moves extremely well. His movements are smooth and he's able to get to the second level of the defense or pull across the formation with ease. Some of this can tie into the fact that he has a background playing basketball from his younger days.

Having played hoops, he can understand the importance of having strong footwork. It's on display when he takes the field, as he is efficient with his feet in both the run and the pass aspects of his blocking.

Manu was often utilized as a lead-blocker in quarterback runs or RPO's. When pulling, he is quick to turn the corner and is able to stay in front of defenders with his agility. While he does have the habit of playing too tall, he had no trouble leading the way for his teammates thanks to his footwork.

Overall, Manu has plenty of room to continue developing but there are encouraging things on tape. His footwork will help him adapt in Detroit's run-heavy scheme, but he'll have to learn plenty of new concepts.

He'll also need to improve his pad level in the run game, which will be tough to do based on his size. However, with how athletic he is, he could be able to pull it off. Manu offers plenty of intriguing tools and could one day take over as a starter for the Lions' offense.

Giovanni Manu playing U Sports football is just unfair lol pic.twitter.com/3P5yUtcsyX

— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) April 29, 2024