Last year, the Detroit Lions shocked some people when they traded up to draft international prospect Giovanni Manu out of British Columbia. The Tongan offensive lineman from Canada wowed half the NFL shortly before the draft, and he was no doubt going to be picked where he got picked.
Still, the Lions took on the risk of an international prospect due to his size and athleticism. The bet could be paying off sooner than we think, and he could soon be a starter for this team. That's why you take risks like that and that's the reason you don't mind maybe going back to the well on that sort of thing.
A source tells A to Z Sports that the Lions will be inviting International Pathways player Laki Tasi to their rookie mini-camp.
Tasi is training to be a defensive tackle at the IMG Academy in Florida. When you look at the Samoan's athletic profile, you can see why he's garnering interest. He's 6-foot-6 and 347 pounds and has 34.5-inch long arms. One of the longest-armed interior defensive linemen in the class. That's a strong trait to have at this position.
While 347 pounds would make him one of the heavier defensive linemen ahead of the draft, he certainly doesn't move like he's carrying all that weight. You can see on his highlight reel that he's the guy towering over everyone else.
The Lions met with Tasi at the IPP pro day in Florida ahead of the draft, and there was a lot of interest coming from the Detroit side on him.
Lions fans may be a bit scared of the defensive lineman project since Brodric Martin has not worked out quite yet, but there are some perks here that are worth noting.
Because Tasi is an IPP player, the Lions would get a 91st spot on their camp roster, so he wouldn't get in the way of the team keeping any other player. The Lions would also get a 17th practice squad spot, where they can keep Tasi so they don't have to stash him on the 53-man roster like they did with Manu. It'll be like he's not even here while they build him in the background.
