Giovanni Manu in line for first start after Taylor Decker downgraded to doubtful

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Allen Park — Giovanni Manu wasn’t active for a single game as a rookie. He opened his second season as the team’s No. 4 offensive tackle, behind starters Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell and veteran backup Jamarco Jones.

On Sunday, against the Cincinnati Bengals, Manu is in line to make his first NFL start after Decker was downgraded to doubtful due to the shoulder injury that’s nagged him throughout the season.

The team also preemptively added insurance to the roster, temporarily elevating Devin Cochran off the practice squad Saturday afternoon. The 6-foot-7, 330-pounder signed to the Lions’ practice squad after Jones suffered a torn ACL in practice ahead of the season opener.

Undrafted out of Georgia Tech in 2022, Cochran spent his first three seasons with the Bengals, primarily on the team’s practice squad. He earned a midseason promotion to the active roster in 2024, appearing in nine games, including a start at left tackle in Week 15 against the Tennessee Titans last season.

As for Manu, he’s been operating as the team’s primary backup since Jones went down. Manu has seen a handful of snaps in the closing stages of blowout wins over Chicago and Cleveland, as well as another dozen blocking on field goals and extra points.

Manu played extensively in the preseason, logging 143 snaps, all at left tackle. Despite allowing eight pressures in those four contests, he wasn’t beaten for a sack.

Chatting briefly with Manu in the locker room on Thursday, he acknowledged that it had been rewarding to earn the team’s trust through his hard work during the offseason and on the practice field.

Manu spent much of this offseason training with former NFL offensive lineman LeCharles Bentley in Arizona, joining Decker at the facility he’s worked out at since before he was drafted by the Lions in 2016.

“I think Gio, when his time is called, he’s gonna be ready to play for us,” offensive line coach Hank Fraley said just before the start of the season. “We’re looking forward to him contributing this year.”

If Manu gets the start, as projected, he will draw the difficult task of slowing down Trey Hendrickson, the first-team All-Pro who led the NFL in sacks a year ago with 17.5.

Hendrickson is off to a more modest start to the 2025 campaign, with 2.0 sacks through four games. However, he still ranks top 15 in quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s affected the quarterback 19 times this season.