The New York Giants signed Francis Mauigoa to his rookie contract this week, and the No. 10 overall pick has already drawn praise from veteran left tackle Andrew Thomas and quarterback Jaxson Dart during organized team activities.
Francis Mauigoa is starting to turn heads
He has already made a strong impression on teammates. Thomas said Mauigoa has "done great so far" and called him "really smart."
Dart was just as complimentary. He called Mauigoa "very natural" and praised his quick learning, technique, feet, power and work habits.
The adjustment for Mauigoa in the NFL will be regarding his position on the offensive line.
Mauigoa started every game of his Miami career at right tackle, but the Giants have been working him at right guard. That move makes sense for New York. Mauigoa has the size and power to play inside right away, and the Giants can get him on the field without asking him to make an immediate transition to left tackle or displace an established veteran on the outside.
At 6-foot-5 and 329 pounds, Mauigoa can play any position on the line. He allowed three sacks across 980 pass-blocking snaps over his final two college seasons. In 2025, he allowed two total sacks and one sack on 205 true pass-set snaps. That gave him a 93.7% win rate in those situations, which ranked second among 2026 NFL Draft-eligible tackles.
Mauigoa is also a useful recruiting pitch for Mario Cristobal
Mauigoa arrived at Miami as a five-star recruit and became one of the program's best recent offensive linemen. He started as a true freshman and left as the first Miami offensive lineman selected in the first round since 2015.
Cristobal can sell that story to recruits who have serious NFL aspirations. Miami can help young linemen develop into NFL starters.
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