Francis Mauigoa will take additional tests to assure top 5 status in NFL Draft

Many projections have Francis Mauigoa as the first offensive lineman off the board and a potential top-5 overall pick. That means the lucky team that drafts the former Miami Hurricanes tackle is making a major investment and expects Mauigoa to be a cornerstone piece on the offensive front.

So today's news of Mauigoa heading to the NFL Combine rechecks for additional imaging on a back issue that he was dealing with feels more precautionary than anything. Mauigoa probably isn't going to make it out of the first hour of the draft, and it makes sense for the teams drafting in the top 10 to make sure his medical situation is stable.

When you read into Ian Rapoport's text, it seems like Mauigoa has been pretty up front with teams about his back, and they are just wanting to get as much information as possible. There's always a concern with any top prospect that's dealing with injuries, but the back can be particularly tricky because it's a pain tolerance that the player has to decide to deal with. If a player tears an ACL or breaks an arm, there's a procedure with surgery and recovery, but the back doesn't provide as clear of a path.

Still, I don't believe there's too much to worry about here unless the imaging suggests that surgery will be necessary. Back surgery is not a good thing for any athlete and especially an offensive lineman. 

Where is Francis Maugioa projected to go in the 2026 NFL Draft?

There are a ton of mock drafts out there right now and being updated every day. The most intriguing one I've seen is with Nate Tice and Charles McDonald at Yahoo! Sports. They have Mauigoa slipping to the Miami Dolphins at No. 11 and have Georgia's Monroe Freeling as the top offensive lineman off the board, going third overall to the Arizona Cardinals. 

That draft seems to be the outlier among the better known mock drafts out there. Peter Schrager from ESPN has Mauigoa going fifth to the New York Giants, while NFL Network host Rhett Lewis has him going sixth to the Cleveland Browns. 

Most people in the know believe that Mauigoa is still going in the top ten and has a great chance at being selected in the top five. Hopefully his medicals will come back clean and all long-term injury concerns will be unfounded.