The Giants bolstered their offensive line in a big way, drafting Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa with the No. 10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Shortly after being drafted, Mauigoa, who can play both tackle and guard, made it clear: he’s going to bring the juice.

“I’m excited, man,” he said. “To be able to play with Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo? One of the top quarterbacks and one of the hardest-hitting running backs? I mean, it’s a dream come true.

“I’m juiced up, man.”

That attitude should fit in perfectly with his new head coach, John Harbaugh, who spoke to Mauigoa when the Giants drafted him and asked if he was ready to join the team.

“I told him, 'Hell yeah, when is the flight leaving?' I told him that the flight can leave right now,” Mauigoa said.

A dominating presence at 6-foot-5, 329 pounds, Mauigoa was a five-star recruit and a top-10 overall prospect in the nation. Last season, he started all 16 games for Miami at right tackle, and consistency is something he hangs his hat on.

“I bring the competition. That’s what I’ve been basing my whole career on, competition, and I do it constantly, every day,” Mauigoa said. “Something that I take pride in is consistency, putting in my all every day. There are going to be days when people aren’t going to feel it, but we’re going to bring that juice. We’ll get better and better. Iron sharpens iron.

“Me and Arvell Reese are going to come in, and man, we’re going to take that thing over. Get this thing going.”

Mauigoa also shared his message for the fans about who he is as a player, saying that hard work, and not his draft status, will define his role on the team.

“I’m going to put in that work after hours every day,” he said. “Just like how I came into the University of Miami, I gotta earn my way up. Earn everybody’s trust, earn everybody’s respect.

“Coming in as a first-rounder doesn’t mean anything. I’ve got to earn everybody’s trust and build that foundation from there.”

Popular in the Community