In Daniel Jeremiah's 2026 NFL mock draft 1.0, published Monday on NFL.com, Miami star Francis Mauigoa goes No. 4 overall to the Tennessee Titans. Jeremiah's reasoning was that the Titans will want to protect their franchise quarterback. If they do draft Mauigoa, they would be reuniting him QB Cam Ward from the one year they shared together in Coral Gables.
"This offseason is about helping Cam Ward take the next step, and that starts with doing a better job of protecting him. Mauigoa has excellent size/strength and still has room to develop."Daniel Jeremiah
The Hurricanes entered the postseason No. 8 nationally in sacks allowed (0.92 per game) and Mauigoa was the anchor of one of the country's most reliable fronts. PFF grades him at 85.9 overall and gives him an 88.8 pass-blocking grade (third-best in college football).
Mauigoa started all 42 games in his three-year Miami career and won the ACC's Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the conference's top offensive lineman.
The CFP run for Mauigoa was impressive. Mauigoa, an AP All-America first-team right tackle, allowed no sacks and just one quarterback hit across Miami's four playoff games. That is certainly something that is going to vault an OL up draft boards.
Even in Miami's 27-21 loss to Indiana in the national title game, Mauigoa made one of the blocks that sprung Mark Fletcher Jr. for a 57-yard touchdown run off right tackle.
Mauigoa was a five-star and the No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2023 cycle, as well as the No. 9 overall recruit in the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor also mocked in Round 1
In the same mock draft, Jeremiah predicted Rueben Bain Jr. at No. 9 to the Kansas City Chiefs and Akheem Mesidor at No. 17 to the Detroit Lions.
"Bain is my favorite fit for the Chiefs. Andy Reid has always had an appreciation for players with a junkyard dog mentality like Bain possesses, having coached Trent Cole and Brandon Graham in Philadelphia."Daniel Jeremiah
"Mesidor would thrive opposite Aidan Hutchinson, going from one dynamic pass-rush duo (with Bain at Miami) to another."Daniel Jeremiah