When Giovanni Manu—the Detroit Lions’ fourth-round pick in 2024—first hit the practice field in training camp, it was about as rough as you could expect for a rookie. None of that was a surprise, mind you, as Manu was billed from the moment Detroit drafted him as a long-term project. Take this quote from general manager Brad Holmes on draft night:
“It’s not a whole lot about right now with him, a lot like—you know we talked about Brodric Martin last year. This is more of a down-the-road future deal, but the upside is enormous,” Holmes said.