I’ve been sleeping really well since the draft by putting Mahogany or Wingo in as the pick where a 2025 3rd rounder was given up.
Manu was a stab in the dark pick in the 6th round like Houston or Rodriguez who both contributed heavily as rookies.
Either way, Manu has some expectations put on him to contribute this year somehow and isn’t as much of a project or redshirt candidate as we all think.
Just was listen to today episode May 6th of PFF podcast:
they brought up Manu in the podcast with the guest they had on their show. He said with the Canadian rules and the tackles lining up a yard behind the line of scrimmage he may struggle. Maybe reason they see in more as a guard maybe his lateral movement and kick step is slow.
I am really trying to like this pick it is just very hard to see the vision and the value of a 3rd round pick in such a project. I think Holmes got cocky with this pick and thought he could mold this super long project.
Tell us more, hadn’t heard this before
If Manu was drafted by the Chiefs, he would fit right in:
Manu could be the next Jawaan Taylor!!
I think he might have to if he wants to make the roster. Manu and Mahagony are both gonna make it. Rarely would u cut a rookie you traded up for. Plus GG and Zeitler. That makes Sorsdal like guard number 5, maybe 6 if you count Kayode who got more snaps than Sorsdal last year.
Sorsdal at tackle is probably his best shot to make the roster. Tackle depth aint very good to be honest. Not sure Sorsdal is athletic enough for tackle though. We shall see.
If something happened to Sewell or Decker… who starts? Matt Nelson took a lot of heat on this board but we kept him and cut Skipper 3 straight years…then got Skipper on the PS.
…or higher 
Disagree - I think we are amazing at developing talent and it is a far, far greater chance he works out than not. - imo, of course.
I give him a 90% chance of working out…somewhere between good starter to amazing.
I’m still in awe of a 352 lb man running a 4.9 40 with a 33" vert. Measurables are most certainly not everything, but if he has the want to that is some rich clay to work with.
Dude was a basketball player too. Can’t wait to see him playing some tight end.
I checked out Lions talk Live guy yesterday only reason was because he had Jeff Risdon on and Jeff said he talked to a CFL GM about Manu. The GM said he would not play for a CFL team this up coming season and that he is raw.
Maybe year 3 he will be a back up!!! What a 3rd round pick!
LOL
While I agree he will be developed by this staff or die trying. He is about as raw of clay as you will find in the NFL. I mean you get the occasional Rugby LB or the HWY Wrestler converting to Oline. But he is about as raw as you can get.
But I do think he has some clear advantages. I find it often that players that do not have extensive football backgrounds tend to struggle with the hitting and violence. Manu seems to get that side pretty well. And he also seems to grasp the violent nature of this sport and what it takes.
It is also funny to me that the Lions now have 2 dudes with Tonga heritage on the squad plus Sewell who is Samoa. We now have to be giving the Steelers a run for their money…
Obviously he wouldnt play for a CFL team as he was drafted into the NFL…
If he would have not been drafted by the NFL as far as his development as a prospect!!!
That is conjecture and 1 CFL gm’s opinion, but given the amount of visits he had pre-draft i find that opinion to come across a bit salty for my taste.
The level of “mold-ability” of this particular piece of clay is high AF though. He’s wired right for it. Muscle memory is built exponentially faster by ppl that have tons of faith that they an do it. The faith of those around him will help his faith, as well as the tutelage *and energy of Sewell, Coach Dan, Fraley, and the rest of the OL. This guy is in a literal perfect scenario.
With all this said.
I think it is fair for many to question this pick based on this players overall lack of playing verses the draft cost.
I also think it is fair for many to state that Holmes has earned the right to make this pick. But furthermore has shown he knows what he is doing so we should all give him room.
Both of these things can be true.
I will say that I fall in the give the man room to operate crowd. Manu looks to me like a legendary HOF player who’s story will down in the lore of how the Lions dynasty was built. But this is just me…LOL. I mean these are the moves that if they hit will be the difference in being a good team and one that wins multiple SB.
How many teams wish they had Mahomes? But I believe that he becomes who he is now due to Reid and the org and team he is with. Just like the players the Lions are grabbing. ARSB drafted to NE likely is never heard from again since their offense sucked the last 3 years and someone would have to throw him the ball.
I feel ya, bro (that’s what she said!)
To use the clay analogy - Best sculptor in the world…not all sculptors are created equally
…combined with…
Highly moldable clay…not all clay is created equally.
I feel the the wiring is there and will also improve.
Question in my mind is → Can he develop the muscle memory? That is really the only way he could fail (or injury).
Talent is off the charts & his attitude is great. Just a matter of “catching on”, which, in my experience is mostly driven by how much he believes he can/can’t do it.
I think Sewell & Fairley bring him along nicely
I can’t remember if I said it in another thread or this one…I think it’s 90/10 that the succeeds. What does succeed mean? → a floor of being a nice starter with a ceiling of being Godzilla out there.
I think we’re mostly on the same page…I just see him as far less of a gamble than most.
I think most on the board, probably over 97%, agree with what you typed, I definitely do.
It’s more the over the top nonstop complaining, whether it was 2hours into FA or on the two picks. It just makes me laugh and have fun with the consistant theme or obsession from the 3%minority.
Glad that you, Risdon and a Canadian GM had the opportunity to look into the future. Always been on my bucket list.
It might be fair but it’s incredibly unproductive. But many Lions fans will probably never be able to completely undo their imbedded negative expectations.
I think it is a legitimate question and one we wait for the answers on with regards to the two projects, third if you add Hooker to the list. Which, imo, is fair based on the offense HH comes from and lack of playing under center going back to HS.
We will get a partial answer to the question in what we see from BroMart and HH this year. HH in the preseason games and Bromart as well along with playing time in the regular season.
If it is a failing answer then you would expect BH to pivot from the lessons learned.
However, the obsession from one, is humorous especially when you know his history on the board and the trash he left on the board 2hours into FA.