Evaluating Whether Local Star Makes Sense for Dolphins in 2026 NFL Draft

The Miami Dolphins are fully in draft mode with the 2026 NFL Combine starting this week.

That also means most of the media is in draft mode, and that mock drafts are all the rage. One of the most notable names in the industry released a new mock draft on Tuesday, and it has the Dolphins taking a familiar face.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has the Dolphins taking Miami Hurricanes offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa with the 11th overall pick. Like Kiper, we’ve also mocked the Dolphins Mauigoa this offseason.

So, what makes Mauigoa such a good fit for the Dolphins? Let’s dive in.

Scouting Mauigoa for the Dolphins

The Miami product has three years of starting experience at right tackle and has improved each season with the Hurricanes. This past season, he allowed just two sacks in 557 pass blocking reps, according to Pro Football Focus.

Mauigoa is a patient and controlled pass protector who doesn’t overextend himself when engaging with pass rushers. He has good hand placement and is athletic enough to match talented speed rushers.

In the running game, he plays with an edge. He likes to drive defenders off their spots, and he’s got plenty of natural strength.

That, combined with his movement skills, makes him a pretty diverse run blocker. He can win on outside zone and man/gap concepts well enough to fit whatever offense — likely heavy outside zone — the Dolphins want to run under Bobby Slowik.

How Mauigoa Fits With the Dolphins

Mauigoa’s tape is more than worthy of the 11th overall pick in this draft, but he’s one of the better fits for the Dolphins overall. We mentioned his scheme flexibility, but his right tackle experience is also critical.

The Dolphins have Austin Jackson at right tackle, but he’s battled several significant injuries in recent seasons. He’s played fewer than nine games in three of his last four seasons, including playing in just 14 games across the last two seasons.

Additionally, Jackson is heading into the last year of his contract. The Dolphins could designate him as a post-June 1 cut and save $11.1 million against the cap, compared to just $4.2 in dead money.

The Dolphins didn’t include Jackson in their initial purge earlier this offseason, but whether it’s in the coming weeks or next offseason, Jackson’s time with the team seems to be ending.

Mauigoa would be a plug-and-play option at right tackle for the upcoming season, but the nice part is that he also makes sense if Jackson stays. Some scouts and analysts view Mauigoa as a guard at the NFL level.

He’s certainly got the demeanor and requisite size (listed 6-6, 315) to play on the interior. So, he could play right guard as a rookie, replacing James Daniels, before kicking out to right tackle next season.

If the Dolphins love what they see at guard, they could also just keep him there long term and find a tackle in free agency or next year’s draft.

More generally, selecting Mauigoa would also align with the big-picture culture shift that new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan has spoken about this offseason.

He said he wants to build the team from “the inside out,” and that “fast gets slow, but big doesn’t get small.” Mauigoa fits the toughness this version of the Dolphins wants to have, and he’s got the talent to back it up.