Will B.C.’s Giovanni Manu play for the Detroit Lions this season?

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The Detroit Lions are willing to take their time with UBC Thunderbirds offensive line product Giovanni Manu, going off of what head coach Dan Campbell told reporters at the opening of mandatory mini-camp on Tuesday.

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The Lions picked the 6-foot-8, 352-pound left tackle from Pitt Meadows in the fourth round of this year’s NFL Draft, and traded up to get that selection.

Mike Payton at AtoZ Sports wrote that the “Tongan-Canadian tackle has the size and athleticism that teams dream of, but he does lack some football experience,” and that the former Pitt Meadows Marauders high school standout is “going to need some time to come along in Detroit and he’s going to get that.”

There were even references to this being a “redshirt” season for Manu, which means it would be a learning year that would see him on the sidelines rather than play games.

Campbell told reporters: “I would love to say, ‘Hey, we’re gonna get him this year, you know, by middle of the season,’ and that would be great. And that’s always gonna be the goal, is how fast can we get one of these guys contributing and helping us.

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“But we also knew what we were acquiring and so we’re prepared to take this as it comes. Whenever he’s ready, he’s ready. And that’s OK. If that doesn’t mean it’s this year and it’s next year, that’s great. But, certainly, we’re trying to push to get him ready now. I mean, that’ll always be the goal of these guys.”

Campbell was also quoted as saying: “He’s just in the infant stages. So we’re literally working from the ground up and we knew it was going to be that way.

“Here’s what we know; the guy’s got it in his body and he’s willing to work … I anticipate we’re going to have a guy that when we come into camp, it’s going to take a dip and then we’re going to start seeing signs of life here now. When? I don’t know, but it’ll come. You got to break them down and then build them back up.”

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A two-time All-Canadian, Manu started every game for the Thunderbirds since his rookie season in 2019 and was key a component in UBC’s run to the Vanier Cup national final this past season.

Manu and UBC right tackle Theo Benedet both received interest from NFL clubs during the UBC season and the T-Birds held their own pro day on March 29. Sixteen NFL teams were on hand and Manu ran a 5.03-second 40-yard dash there, which would have tied him for the 10th best time among the 70 offensive linemen who went to the NFL Scouting Combine earlier in March. He also would have been the second heaviest player there.

Benedet wound up signing a free-agent deal with the Chicago Bears.

Manu was the first UBC player ever picked in an NFL Draft and the first selected from the Canadian U Sports ranks since 2016.

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Benedet was a second-round pick of the B.C. Lions in this year’s CFL Draft, while Manu went in the fifth round to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

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