Francis Mauigoa Is Attacking His Transition to Guard With the Same Aggression He Brings to Blocking

The New York Giants offensive line in 2025 had strengths on the outside, with tackles who, when healthy, were consistently among the better tackle duos in the NFL.

The interior of the offensive line was another story and so the Giants took the first step to address that by trading Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for the tenth overall pick.

That pick was then used to select Miami Hurricanes offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa, who will move inside to right guard for the Giants despite having been a career tackle in college.

Francis “Sisi” Mauigoa, OL

Height: 6-6
Weight: 335
EXP: Rookie
School: Miami
How Acquired: D1b-’26

2025 in Review

Mauigoa was dominant for the Miami Hurricanes in 2025, but was especially impressive when facing some of the top edge rushers in the country.

In the College Football Playoff, he was a vital part of the team's success. He allowed just six pressures over the course of four games, including just one pressure in the National Championship against Indiana.

Mauigoa played 1,034 snaps during the 2025 season and allowed a total of 15 pressures and two sacks, but didn’t allow any sacks after week four, meaning that he went the final 12 games of the season without allowing one.

Just like the first two years of his career at Miami, Mauigoa played exclusively right tackle during the season.

Contract/Cap Info

The Giants signed Mauigoa to a four-year, fully guaranteed $30.9 million deal.

Due to Mauigoa’s contract being fully guaranteed and the dead cap hit that would come if he were to be cut, Mauigoa will be in East Rutherford for the foreseeable future.

With a fully guaranteed contract, that also means that at no point in the deal would the Giants create any cap space by cutting him, but would create some space by trading him, although that seems unlikely.

The fifth-year option gives the Giants another year of team control over Mauigoa at the end of his rookie deal, with pay varying based on playing time and Pro Bowl appearances.

2026 Preview

Mauigoa’s transition to right guard is well underway and already he’s earned praise from head coach John Harbaugh for how he has attacked the transition so aggressively.

“Sisi was just fantastic,” Harbaugh said of Mauigoa in May. “He took pretty much every rep—looked like a natural at guard.”

Mauigoa’s biggest obstacle to overcome in moving inside to guard is getting used to working in a phone booth as opposed to working on an island, as he did at tackle. But again, he’s attacked that challenge with the same zest that he typically shows in attacking defensive linemen lined up across from him.

The great thing about Mauigoa is that while for the time being he’s slotted in at guard, if the team moves on from Jermaine Eluemunor after his three-year deal is up, Mauigoa can easily swing back outside to tackle, thereby ensuring the Giants offensive line is set at tackle for the immediate future.

Speaking of Eluemunor, he can help the rookie as he transitions to the NFL, a mentor role that the veteran has already embraced.

Mauigoa brings more to the table beyond his versatility. He’s also a powerful enough guard who could properly complement John Michael Schmitz at center, who lacks the power to be a consistent force against bigger NFL interior defensive linemen.

The expectation for Mauigoa to step in and contribute right away makes sense, given his experience in a gap-run scheme and the fact that pass protection is easier on the interior than on the outside at tackle.

Add in his durability—Mauigoa never missed a single start, game, or practice in his three seasons at Miami according to Locked On Canes host Alex Donno—and that type of consistency is undoubtedly a welcome addition to a Giants offensive line that has dealt with injuries in recent years.

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