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Giovanni Manu

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Giovanni Manu
No. 59 – Detroit Lions
Position:Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (2001-01-26) January 26, 2001 (age 23)
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Height:6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Weight:354 lb (161 kg)
Career information
High school:Pitt Meadows
(Pitt Meadows, British Columbia)
University:UBC (2018–2023)
NFL draft:2024 / round: 4 / pick: 126
CFL draft:2024 / round: 5 / pick: 46
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Werner "Giovanni" Manu (born January 26, 2001) is a Tongan professional American football offensive tackle for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played Canadian football in U Sports for the UBC Thunderbirds. Manu was selected by the Lions in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Early life and education

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Manu was born on January 26, 2001 in Tonga.[1] He moved to British Columbia in Canada to live with an aunt at the age of 11.[2] He entered the Pitt Meadows Secondary School and tried out football soon after.[3] He also played basketball.[1]

Career

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University

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Manu enrolled at the University of British Columbia in 2018 and redshirted his first year on the UBC Thunderbirds football team.[4] He won a starting role on the offensive line in 2019 as the team went 2–6.[1][2] The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Manu then started all seven games at left tackle in 2021.[1][4] He started games at both left tackle and left guard in 2022 and was selected second-team All-Canadian.[5] He and fellow Thunderbirds offensive lineman Theo Benedet were both ranked as among the top prospects for the 2023 CFL draft, but opted to return to UBC for a final season.[6][7] He repeated as a second-team All-Canadian choice in the 2023 selection and helped UBC make their first appearance in the Vanier Cup since 2015.[8]

Professional

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 7+3⁄8 in
(2.02 m) 		352 lb
(160 kg) 		34+5⁄8 in
(0.88 m) 		10+1⁄2 in
(0.27 m)		 5.07 s 1.81 s 2.87 s 4.81 s 8.29 s 33.5 in
(0.85 m)		 8 ft 11 in
(2.72 m)		 23 reps
All values from Pro Day[9]

In addition to being a top-ranked prospect for the 2024 CFL draft, Manu also received attention as a potential selection in the 2024 NFL draft, receiving praise for his skills and size.[8][10][11] Manu was selected by the Detroit Lions in the fourth round (126th overall) of the NFL draft and by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the fifth round (46th overall) of the CFL draft.[12] He became the first player from UBC ever to be selected in the NFL draft.[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Brugler, Dane (April 2024). "The Beast: 2024 NFL Draft Guide" (PDF). The Athletic. p. 133.
  2. ^ a b Hodge, John (April 26, 2024). "UBC OL Giovanni Manu hoping to shine light on U Sports as first NFL draft pick since 2016". 3DownNation.com.
  3. ^ Gumboc, Annaliese (April 25, 2024). "The NFL has never drafted a player straight from UBC. Giovanni Manu and Theo Benedet could change that". The Ubyssey.
  4. ^ a b Kruse, Zach (April 13, 2024). "Packers to host British Columbia OT Giovanni Manu on top 30 pre-draft visit". USA Today.
  5. ^ Abbott, JC (February 18, 2024). "UBC Thunderbirds to host NFL pro day for top OL prospects Theo Benedet, Giovanni Manu". 3DownNation.com.
  6. ^ Ewen, Steve (January 28, 2023). "Top UBC offensive linemen run reverse play, opting out of CFL draft for another T-Bird season". The Province.
  7. ^ Tucker, Brandon (September 12, 2022). "Pitt Meadows football star makes list of top-2o CFL Draft prospects". Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News.
  8. ^ a b Ewen, Steve (April 25, 2024). "UBC has never had a player picked in the NFL Draft — could they have two by the end of the weekend?". The Province.
  9. ^ "2024 NFL Draft Scout Giovanni Manu College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  10. ^ Tucker, Brandon (January 26, 2024). "Pitt Meadows athlete cracks top-10 of CFL Scouting Bureau list". Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News.
  11. ^ Miljure, Ben (April 18, 2024). "UBC football star turning heads in lead up to NFL draft". CTV News.
  12. ^ Tucker, Brandon (May 2, 2024). "Pitt Meadows football star drafted twice in one year". Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News.
  13. ^ Kulkarni, Akshay (April 30, 2024). "UBC football player drafted to NFL describes 'dream come true'". CBC.ca.
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