When the Detroit Lions took offensive tackle Giovanni Manu in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft following a trade up, it was fully understood that the British Columbia product would need time to develop.
While it wasn't clear exactly how long it would take, early indications were that Manu may end up on the bottom of the depth chart for the entirety of his rookie campaign as he acclimated to the NFL.
But head coach Dan Campbell provided some very encouraging news on the rookie on Wednesday. While he didn't say whether or not Manu would be ready to contribute in Year 1 if the Lions need a backup to step in, he did make it clear that Manu is moving in the right direction in terms of his development.
"We knew when we acquired him, it was going to be a bit of a ride here before we would be ready to go," Campbell said. "We want this gradual improvement everyday. Just focus on one thing and get better at that... I thought he was better in the game the other day. I thought he improved. He's figuring it out, he's getting there. Now, I can't give you a timetable, but he has improved and he's beginning to look like he belongs."
Campbell isn't just blowing smoke up Manu's you-know-what, either, as the numbers show he was indeed improved in preseason Week 2.
After posting Pro Football Focus grades of 47.4 and 50.9 in pass-blocking and run-blocking, respectively, and surrendering one pressure in preseason Week 1, Manu bounced back big time in preseason Week 2 after not allowing any pressures and posting the top pass-blocking grade on the team (85.6).
Granted, Manu's run-blocking took a dip (47.0), but the massive leap in the pass pro department was more than enough to consider his second exhibition game a success.
Manu's path to becoming an NFL-caliber offensive lineman is going to be a long one, but right now his arrow is pointing up and perhaps he'll be ready sooner than initially expected.