Examining Whether the Miami Dolphins Should Pass on Francis Mauigoa

One of the 2026 NFL draft’s top prospects, and a potential Miami Dolphins target, is facing some injury concerns.

Miami Hurricanes offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa will attend the Combine Rechecks on Friday to receive imaging for a back issue that caused him some discomfort in 2025, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Rapoport adds that Mauigoa doesn’t have any symptoms, but teams “have asked for additional testing on a disc issue," even though he isn’t “considered a candidate for immediate surgery."

A potential choice for the Dolphins at pick 11, Mauigoa is regarded as one of the premier offensive linemen in this class, and availability has played into that. He started all 42 of his possible games at Miami, including all 16 last season, when he was dealing with this potential issue.

His performance was top notch throughout 2025. He finished as a consensus All-American and earned the Jacobs Blocking trophy, which rewards the best blocker in the ACC.

That combination of factors has given teams, according to Rapoport, the belief that Mauigoa won’t fall down the draft board.

EXAMINING THE POTENTIAL DOLPHINS MIND-SET

For the Dolphins, however, it’s pertinent to engage with the idea that this injury could change the outlook of their first draft choice.

On one hand, the Miami Dolphins’ most recent roster-building project was plagued with injuries. Miami took chances on players with known health concerns, such as Tua Tagovailoa and Terron Armstead, and faced the consequences of those decisions time and time again. Availability should be near the top of this new regime’s wish list for incoming players, and if Mauigoa’s discomfort could develop into an injury that causes him to miss significant time throughout his NFL career, the 11th pick would be too rich of an asset to take a major risk on.

However, the reporting on this situation, which is simply a Combine Recheck for teams across the league, voices the idea that this isn’t serious. Team doctors from across the NFL, including Miami’s, will be able to view the results of this, and if it is along the lines of his previous consultation, it likely isn’t something that will bring much concern to teams who are interested.

Mauigoa, as mentioned previously, has never had significant injury issues prior to this, and produced at a high level throughout his collegiate career, even when dealing with this specific ailment. However, if there’s any indication that this is a cause for concern, it becomes extremely important that the Miami Dolphins do their due diligence in deciding whether he is worth the first pick of a new regime that hopes not to be plagued by old habits.