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The writing is clearing on the wall that Detroit Lions offensive lineman Giovanni Manu will end up as another Brad Holmes draft bust.
On Thursday morning, head coach Dan Campbell informed local reporters that the 25-year-old suffered a significant health setback.
Following the first practice of training camp, Manu was placed on the Non Football Injury list with an undisclosed injury.
Typically, teams cannot utilize the Non Football Injury list for a player who participates in training camp, but Campbell added some clarity, expressing that Manu’s injury is one from the offseason that was not told to the coaching staff.
“We put him on NFI. He had an injury, a previous injury over the summer that was not disclosed. He came off practice field, didn’t feel good, got it checked and sure enough that’s what it was,” Campbell said. “So, he will be out for a period of time, I don’t know how long that’s gonna be. Call it 12 weeks, 14 weeks. I don’t know, we’ll figure it out down the road. But he is NFI.”
Manu, who has not been able to stay healthy, is facing an uphill climb to have a successful stint in Motown.
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Holmes took a significant gamble targeting a player who did not play the same level of competition as most college draft prospects.
The decision was made to trade a 2025 third-round pick to move into the fourth round to target Manu, who played at the University of British Columbia.
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Manu has no clear path to be a starter anytime soon. In fact, the coaching staff lined the 25-year-old at guard during the spring.
It is time for the team to cut their losses and look to alternative players to develop. Miles Frazier, Juice Scruggs and Ben Bartch are also vying for increased opportunities.
Missing more practice time means Manu is even more behind than he already was.
I would in fact be quite surprised if Manu was on the roster by the end of this week.
Detroit will also likely be without defensive end Payton Turner at practice on Thursday morning, as Campbell reported Turner will be sidelined with a sore back.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi as Giovanni Manu Will End Up As Another Brad Holmes Draft Bust.
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This story was originally published July 30, 2026 at 6:39 AM.