Giovanni

Manu

Manu had a previous injury that resurfaced on the first day of training camp. He is now on the NFI list and will likely remain there at the end of training camp, putting him on ice for at least the first four games of the year. Manu appeared in four games last year and made one start. The Lions could add a free agent for some extra depth to start the year, but the good news is that Manu wasn’t projected for a starting role.

The Lions will be without one of their premier offensive linemen against an aggressive Kansas City pass rush that currently ranks sixth in blitz rate at over 32%. That could lead to a more ball-out-quick offensive structure, likely benefiting both Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs through the air. The team also downgraded DB Avonte Maddox (hamstring) and OL Giovanni Manu (knee) to out.

So are: S Kerby Joseph (knee), T Taylor Decker (shoulder), and T Giovanni Manu (knee) as none of the four of them practiced on Friday. We’re not entirely sure what Detroit’s backup backup plan at left tackle is, but Decker missed last week’s game and didn’t practice at all this week. Branch had an MRI on Thursday and Joseph has not practiced all week. We’d say that all four of these players are on the pessimistic side of questionable for Week 6.

The report comes from team reporter Tim Twentyman, who notes backup T Giovanni Manu was also placed on the active/non-football injury (NFI) list. Davenport missed 13 games with the injury before signing with the Lions in the offseason. He is expected to return during training camp before suiting up as EDGE Aidan Hutchinson’s bookend in Week 1.

Nicknamed “Baby Shaq” by college teammates, Manu impressed NFL teams with his workout metrics and sheer size. He met with a range of teams, including the Broncos and Cardinals, before landing with Detroit. His vertical jump placed Manu in the 97th percentile of all offensive linemen in this year’s draft class. He should immediately compete for snaps on the Detroit offensive line, one of the best in the NFL.