Cowboys draft 2024: OL Giovanni Manu scouting report

We continue our 2024 NFL Draft review of draft prospects that could interest the Dallas Cowboys. Today we are looking at offensive lineman Giovanni Manu from the University of British Columbia from the Canadian Football League.

Giovanni Manu
OT
UBC Thunderbirds
Senior
6’7”
352 lbs
Arm Length- 35 1/2” (89%)
Wingspan- 83 1/2” (79%)

History:
Giovanni Manu played basketball at a young age and took up football in 2013 at Pitt Meadows Secondary school. His size was already formidable and by eighth grade he was 6-foot-1, 210 pounds which earned the nickname “baby Shaq”.

In 2019, he joined the University of British Columbia and began playing on the offensive line. He played both the left guard and left tackle position while at UBC, with his final year playing mostly at left tackle.

In 2023, the Thunderbirds would finish first in passing yards and second in rush yards, with Manu being one of the key driving forces that helped the team earn such success and earned All-Canadian Team honors.

2023 Statistics:
502 Offensive snaps
212 Passing snaps
5 Pressures Allowed
2 Sacks

NFL Combine/Pro Day:
40-Yard Time- 4.96s (92%)
Vert- 33.5” (94%)
Broad- 107 (72%)
Shuttle- 4.91s (20%)
Bench- 23 (50%)

Awards:
All-Canadian Team (2023)
All-Canadian Team (2022)

Scorecard:
Overall- 62
Speed- 90
Acceleration- 57
Agility- 58
Strength- 73
Pass Blocking- 58
Run Blocking- 64

THE GOOD:

• A massive man-mountain for defenders to try and navigate around
• A mauling type lineman with a lot of pancakes on tape
• Can get into the second level quickly and eliminate defenders with ease
• Quick feet for a guy his size. Stays balanced throughout the play
• Good flexibility on reach blocks
• Speed is apparent when used on pulls
• Very strong punch that stuns defenders
• Shows good aggression and power as a run blocker

THE BAD:

• Lacks awareness on stunts.
• Better as a tackle than he was at guard
• Hand timing is inconsistent
• Punches land too high at times
• Kick-slide needs refinement
• Needs coaching on how to handle speed-to-power rushers effectively
• Gets caught out when handling pass rushers with good counter moves. His large size goes against him when he tries to reset
• Can get lost at times finding his man when used on pulls

THE FIT:
Giovanni Manu is an interesting evaluation and it’s understandable why the Cowboys want to take a closer look at him as a 30-visit player. He’s a hulking human being that clearly stands out on tape as he towers over every player on the field. His size combined with his strength, speed and quick feet makes him a very enticing prospect.

He is lacking a lot of refinement. At times his hand placement can be off-target and badly timed. Given his size, this makes technically savvy pass rushers able to counter him quickly and lead him to hold onto defenders. Speed-to-power rushers also use his size against him to manipulate his movement. He’s exclusively a left tackle with no real tape showing how he would be at right tackle. This means he’s limited as a swing tackle and more a backup left tackle. That’s unless he can quickly learn the nuances of playing on the right.

Overall, Manu is rare find for a late Day 3 option. He has a solid baseline for coaches to work with, high levels of athleticism and a huge frame to take up space. The learning curve is steep for Manu as he needs to learn a lot in terms of technique, and if he wants to become a swing tackle in the NFL, that curve is even steeper.

COMPARISON:-
Mekhi Becton, New York Jets

GRADE:
Seventh-round/priority UDFA grade

CONSENSUS RANKING:
N/A
(Consensus ranking based on the average ranking from 90 major scoring services)