Giovanni Manu

Werner "Giovanni" Manu (born January 26, 2001) is a Tongan-Canadian 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 Manu was born on January 26, 2001, in Tonga. He moved to British Columbia in Canada to live with an aunt at the age of 11. He entered the Pitt Meadows Secondary School and tried out football soon after. He also played basketball. He won a starting role on the offensive line in 2019 as the team went 2–6. 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. 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.

Professional career

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. 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. He became the first player from UBC ever to be selected in the NFL draft.