Could Mauigoa already be on the Giants’ radar?
The offensive line is an evergreen topic for the New York Giants. They have sunk a tremendous amount of resources into finally fixing the line, only to deal with injury and disappointing play on an annual basis.
It’s likely that the Giants will once again be looking to reinforce their offensive line in the 2026 NFL draft. Miami right tackle Francis Mauigoa could be of particular interest, given how unsettled the right side is for the Giants.
The right tackle position could be one of legitimate need with Evan Neal moving inside and Jermaine Eluemunor a short-term option. Fifth-round pick Marcus Mbow could be an answer, however he may also project better inside than as a tackle at the NFL level.
The Giants could once again find themselves frequent visitors to Miami in 2025.
What he does well
Mauigoa is listed at 6-foot-6, 315 pounds, and looks like it on tape. He’s a big, thick offensive tackle with at least adequate arm length. His size, however, belies impressive athleticism and movement skills. Mauigoa has remarkably quick, light feet, and not just for a player his size. He moves like a much smaller man and is positively effortless in his lateral movement.
He’s quick to hit his landmarks as a pass protector, setting solid width and depth to the pocket. He’s able to mirror speed off the edge, as well as quickly work up to the second level as a run blocker. He’s also a natural knee bender who’s able to drop his hips and consistently play with good pad level, as well as uncoil to bow defenders back in the run game.
His movement skills also come in handy when blocking for a mobile quarterback. It’s a skill that was definitely needed with Cam Ward at quarterback, but might not be necessary with Carson Beck transferring from Georgia to Miami.
Mauigoa has very good competitive toughness and does whatever is necessary to sustain his blocks. He uses good footwork to disperse power from bull rushes and is able to stress defenders laterally as a zone blocker in the run game. He seems to understand his role in the overall blocking scheme and is both effective on double teams and keeps his head on a swivel to look for late pressure as well as deal with stunts or blitzes.
His hand usage is still a work in progress, but he shows solid grip strength, as well as the ability to use his hands independently and pick up multiple defenders at once.
What he needs to improve
There are a couple glaring flaws in Mauigoa’s game at this stage. Most notably, his hand usage is very raw and could cause a number of problems if it doesn’t improve.
First and foremost, Mauigoa doesn’t consistently fire his punch at defenders. In fact, his hands vary considerably between being passive and just “catching” defenders to being downright wild and landing far outside opponents’ framework.
His tendency to catch defenders often allows them into his chest plate, making it difficult to anchor against power rushers, as well as giving defenders options to beat him. He’s athletic enough to stymie them with a second effort, but he’d be much better served by preventing that in the first place. His hands landing outside defenders’ framework, on the other hand, can lead to lunging if his punch fails to land. It could also lead to holding calls at the NFL level if he isn’t careful.
Mauigoa also needs to continue to improve his play strength. He has a solid foundation and can anchor against power as well as sustain his blocks. However, he isn’t a “people mover”, particularly in the run game, and instead relies upon footwork and positioning to blunt bull rushes or create running lanes.
(Mauigoa is the Miami right tackle wearing number 61)
Final word
Mauigoa is going to be a player to keep an eye on this year. Right now, he’s considered one of the top tackle prospects in the 2026 draft, but there’s nearly a year between now and then and a lot can happen.
He definitely still has work to do in polishing his game. In particular, he needs to continue to work on his hand usage. He has all the traits to be a starting tackle in the NFL, but his bad habits will be easy fodder for the pass rushers in the pros.
The Giants should already have a solid baseline profile on Muaigoa thanks to all the work they put in scouting Cam Ward during the 2024 season. That should give them something of a head start when it comes to scouting him and perhaps greater insight into his work habits as well as his development arc.
Likewise, it remains to be seen whether they’ll even need a right tackle come next April. Mauigoa, however, could become a very familiar name leading up to the 2026 draft.
