Giovanni Manu ‘totally prepared’ for potential first NFL start

With Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker questionable to play on Sunday against the Chicago Bears after missing three practices with a shoulder injury, the Lions may have to turn to developmental second-year tackle Giovanni Manu to protect Jared Goff’s blind side.

The Lions drafted Manu in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, knowing that the University of British Columbia product would take some time to develop. Manu had all the physical tools to be an NFL product—including 6-foot-7, 350-pound size and incredible agility for a player of that size—but given the level of play in college, the fine-tuned skills would need to be taught over years, not months.

With primary backup Jamarco Jones out for the year, and practice squad veteran Dan Skipper dealing with an injury of his own, t