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NFL draft analyst: Detroit Lions pick Giovanni Manu one of best-kept secrets of this class
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- NFL draft analyst: Detroit Lions pick Giovanni Manu one of best-kept secrets of this class
The Detroit Lions picked up two intriguing players with international backgrounds with a pair of trade ups in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft.
The Lions drafted offensive tackle Giovanni Manu out of the University of British Columbia in the fourth round with the 126th pick of the draft. The Lions had to trade into the fourth round in a deal with the New York Jets to secure Manu. Six picks later, general manager Brad Holmes traded up again to grab Utah safety Sione Vaki with Pick 132 in the fourth round.
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Holmes added Manu and Vaki to a draft class that already features Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold, selected after a trade-up in the first round , and Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr., selected in the second round . The Lions had to wait 65 draft slots to make the pick because they did not possess a third or fourth-round pick originally because of previous trades.
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Manu was the start of a busy day three for the Lions, who also own two sixth-round picks and a seventh-round pick.
ESPN analysts said Manu was one of their Day-3 favorites, describing him as one of the better-kept secrets in the draft process, and landed in a perfect spot in Detroit to develop a strong offensive line boasting left tackle Taylor Decker and right tackle Penei Sewell .
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"This is my guy right here," ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said. "I don't know how much tape people have available for Giovanni Manu because this guy has not been playing football for a whole lot of time but he is intriguing."
Manu boasts above average size for one of the biggest positions in football, measuring in at 6 feet 7½, 352 pounds with 34½-inch arms, making him one of the biggest players in the class.
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"He absolutely pulverizes people with his power," Kiper said. "He's got a basketball background, he could start for the Detroit Pistons at power forward."
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When the trade was announced, the ESPN desk was talking about potential options for the Lions, mentioning defensive line and wide receiver as areas of need, but said Manu made sense as one of the popular sleeper picks on day three.
"One of the better kept secrets throughout the draft process," Kiper said. "There was a pro day in late March, a bunch of NFL teams went up and worked out a bunch of the Canadian football prospects and Giovanni Manu stole the show."
The selection of Vaki was brushed over during a flurry of picks and commercials on the broadcast, but the Lions move to go up and get the Utah safety, who also played seven games at running back for the Utes last season, received some praise online despite sacrificing the 2025 draft capital.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: NFL draft TV analysts love Detroit Lions' Giovanni Manu, Sione Vaki
