On Thursday, the New York Giants had two top-10 picks in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
With the fifth pick, they selected LB Arvell Reese out of Ohio State, and with the 10th pick, which they acquired from the Bengals in the Dexter Lawrence trade, New York grabbed OT Francis Mauigoa out of Miami.
Mauigoa met the New York media on Friday.
The 20-year-old’s older brother, LB Francisco “Kiko” Mauigoa, plays for the New York Jets. According to Francis, the siblings knew at a young age that the dream of making the NFL could come true.
“It was my freshman year of high school,” Mauigoa said. “Me and my older brother Francisco, we both went to San Bernardino, St. Thomas Aquinas in California. We were just balling. We were just kids that were hungry for it.
“Then we got to a point where we understand that we’re actually good at something and we can continue forward with it. We started pushing for greatness, and that’s been our goal ever since.”
The Mauigoa brothers will both be in New York together, and the two might even live together.
“We haven’t talked about it yet,” Mauigoa said. “There comes a time I’ll more than likely move in with him. If anything, I wanted to stay closer over here, so 10, 15 minutes away, that’s my spot. But it’s up to him.
According to Giants head John Harbaugh, Mauigoa, who was an All-American tackle at Miami, will move to guard in 2026. Mauigoa discussed the difference between playing guard and tackle.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Probably different techniques than the tackle, but I’ve been training, cross-training my whole training process, not only for the combine but after the combine. So I feel confident in my skills, and I’m ready to learn a lot more.”
Mauigoa has been working with former NFL OL Jon Feliciano, and according to Feliciano, guard is easier to play than tackle.
“It’s pretty simple,” Mauigoa said. “Tackle, you’ve got a lot of space you’ve got to cover. Guard, you’ve got minimum space. If anything, he said, guard would be easier. So just ready to work at it.”
In the end, Mauigoa, who said he would die for Jaxson Dart on Thursday, is looking forward to protecting the team’s franchise quarterback.
“I’m really excited to get it going with him, to block my ass off for him and get him to make plays. He’s so down to earth, humble kid who loves fishing. Can’t wait to get out on the water with him someday.”
Leave a Reply