New England Patriots Top 30 Visit: UBC OT Giovanni Manu

Every NFL franchise is allowed to invite up to 30 draft prospects to visit their facilities and meet with the members of the organization before the NFL Draft. These selections range from first-round targets to players who might be available as undrafted free agents. As news about the New England Patriots Top 30 visits surface, Patriots Football Now will highlight each of the visitors. Today’s feature is Britsh Columbia offensive tackle Giovanni Manu.

College Career

Giovanni Manu arrived at the University of British Columbia as a 16-year-old. So, despite being in college for five years, he is still a young prospect. Manu was born in Tonga and moved to Vancouver at age 10. Just a few years later his sheer size and athleticism had him playing college football for the UBC Thunderbirds.

Manu was listed as 6-foot-8, 320 pounds his first year on campus. He appeared in eight games that first season. The 2020 season was canceled due to COVID. When Manu returned in 2021 he was listed at 350 pounds, which is his current weight.

Over his four seasons with the Thunderbirds, Manu played in 38 games. Despite his youth, he does have a lot of game experience. This past season UBC advanced to the Vanier Cup for the national championship before falling to Montreal 16-9. His fellow Thunderbird, OL Theo Benedet, is also an NFL prospect.

OT Giovanni Manu
UBC Thunderbirds

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— Mike Poland (@kenfigkowboy) April 6, 2024

NFL Draft

Giovanni Manu is a raw talent. That said, he is talented. His film is hard to obtain a ton of information from. he looks like a man among boys in most clips. There are plays where his sheer size and strength allow him to play bully ball, a style he will not be able to get away with in the NFL, even with his stature. He needs to become a more disciplined player, which should come with NFL coaching.

At his Pro Day, Mapu was impressive. He was listed at 6-foot-7, 352 pounds. His unofficial 40-time was clocked between 4.96 and 5.03. Anyone running that fast and that size is going to get the attention of scouts. He also had a 33.5″ vertical jump. This performance helped earn Manu many Top 30 visits and private workouts.

The New England Patriots have targeted several offensive tackle prospects they may consider on Day 3 of the NFL Draft, or as undrafted free agents. Giovanni Manu joins a group that includes Tulsa’s Darrell Simpson, Georgia State’s Travis Glover, Penn State’s Caeden Wallace, and South Florida’s Donovan Jennings. Manu needs some seasoning, likely on a practice squad for a season. But with interest from multiple NFL teams, somebody might snag him in the draft rather than risk missing out on a very unique prospect.