Daily DLP: Giovanni Manu’s Make-or-Break Summer in Detroit – Detroit Lions Podcast

Roster reality for a third-year project

The Detroit Lions Podcast zeroed in on Giovanni Manu and a blunt truth. Year three is now or never. A third-round investment to move up for a fourth-round pick will not protect a spot. Brad Holmes said it would be irresponsible to assume a past developmental pick will be the guy. He also said there is no conviction Manu is ready to be a major contributor. The message is clear. Earn it.

A fresh 53-man projection left Manu off. The competition is real at tackle and inside. Larry Borom is a bar to clear. So is Colby Sorsdal. Devin Cochran brings size and college polish. There is a very real chance Manu is tackle five by the end of the first preseason game. Special teams jobs are settled elsewhere. There is no easy back door.

Technique, fit, and the guard conversation

The tape tells why. Manu plays too tall. His back is upright. His arms are late and not fully extended. He loses leverage and trust in his strike. Long arms become a liability when the first punch is late. Those issues have shown in camp reps and preseason snaps against NFL speed.

Detroit’s offense leans on timing and rhythm. Jared Goff needs clear lanes over the middle. Tall interior linemen can clog those sight lines. That makes a move to guard complicated for a 6-foot-8 blocker. Dan Campbell opened the guard talk late in minicamp, but no pads means no verdict. The staff can measure balance, assignment, and second-level pickups in shorts. Real answers arrive in pads.

Path forward, or exit plan

There is still a plan. Manu has worked with LaCharles Bentley and the OLP crew to speed up his get-off and strike. Hank Fraley and Detroit’s development group have invested time. The hope is to turn rare tools into usable reps. The leash, though, is getting short. Training camp intensity and scrutiny will rise.

If it stalls, options exist. A conditional seventh could be in play for a team thin behind good starters. San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Cleveland fit the profile mentioned. A niche role as an extra tight end or on field-goal block is possible, but others have shown more with the ball and in space this spring. The physical traits still grab you. Planet theory always does. Now the football has to match. The Detroit Lions need proof, not potential, when camp opens and the NFL speed returns.

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Chris
Chris is the founder of everything you see here. A former radio presenter and Detroit native, he now resides in sunny California – and like so many of us, he found himself marooned on an island devoid of other Lions fans. After spending a few years in the Detroit Lions Reddit community he decided to start the Detroit Lions Podcast. Its become the #1 Detroit Lions podcast, and regularly ranks with the top podcasts in Detroit. With a mixture of pre-recorded shows, live & recorded phone-ins, and live post-game broadcasts - this is his slice of Honolulu Blue heaven.