One of the key moves the Giants made this offseason was to re-sign right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor to a three-year, $39 million contract extension. The signing ensured that the Giants would be bringing back four of the starters from their 2025 offensive line, which greatly improved over the course of the season.
The only spot that was left unfilled was the right guard position, which was filled by Greg Van Roten over the past two seasons. New York clearly wanted to get younger at the position, which is why Van Roten remains unsigned after his contract expired at the end of the year.
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Heading into the draft, they brought in a viable starting option in former Raven Daniel Faalele, but it was not all that surprising to see them select a potential longer-term solution on Day One of the draft.
Having already selected Arvell Reese with the fifth overall pick, New York also had the 10th selection, and they opted to use in on Miami RT Francis Mauigoa. The 20-year old, who some felt was a viable option five picks earlier, was still on the board, so the Giants made him the second lineman selected, with Utah’s Spencer Fano having gone to the Browns one pick earlier.
The Mauigoa pick gives the Giants plenty of options on their offensive line, but new head coach John Harbaugh gave an insight into what their initial plan for him actually is during the post-draft press conference.
Although he played almost exclusively at right tackle during his career with the Hurricanes, Mauigoa is going to start off at right guard with New York, and they intend for him to be the starter there.
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Some draft analysts felt that Mauigoa might be better suited to a guard role at the NFL level, on the basis that his wingspan is less than ideal for an NFL tackle and could be exploited by some of the league’s bendier and more athletic edge rushers. However, the longer-term intention is for Mauigoa to eventually transition into a tackle role.
Eluemunor has already stated that he is keen to work with the rookie, who will lineup on his inside shoulder if all goes to plan and he ends up as the starting right guard. He should be an ideal mentor for Mauigoa, because he’s played both as a guard and tackle and can therefore instruct him on some of the vagaries of the guard position, while also grooming Mauigoa to be his successor at the tackle position.
The three-year deal means the Giants will be in no rush to do this, but once Mauigoa is ready for right tackle to become his permanent position, Eluemunor’s versatility should still enable him to contribute in some capacity.
In college, Mauigoa had no extensive opportunities to play right guard, although he did gain some brief experience there last season when the Hurricanes experimented with some unbalanced line formations down the stretch. In these packages, Mauigoa did line up as the right guard, with the usual right guard moving over to the left side and a sixth lineman entering the game to line up outside Mauigoa.
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These packages were particularly effective in a late-season win over Pitt, with wide receiver Malachi Toney taking a wildcat snap and throwing a touchdown pass in the red zone on one such play.
Mauigoa’s power at the point of attack and strong anchor should serve him well at the guard position, and it may also mask some of his current weaknesses in terms of having the footspeed to stay in front of a speed rush off the edge. That’s something he can work on as he prepares to move there in future — which is a process that should begin immediately, in case he is suddenly required to move outside because of an injury to one of the starting tackles.
If Mauigoa struggles with the transition, they have Faalele — a player Harbaugh is familiar with from their time together in Baltimore — available all a fall-back option. Alternatively, if Mauigoa proves to be more comfortable at tackle than expected, then they could consider moving Eluemunor back inside instead.
Protecting Jaxson Dart is a priority for the Giants in 2026 and beyond, especially after he took some punishment at times last season. The Giants have done a solid job of shoring up their protection personnel and Mauigoa looks set to play a big role in this effort. In fact, as he said in viral comments after the draft, he is “ready to die for” Dart.
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That level of commitment, together with the talent and power Mauigoa provides, bodes well for the Giants to have a stronger offensive line this season. If all goes to plan, it should also be one with a bright future.
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