Giants' first-round pick Francis Mauigoa comes with early injury concern originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Giants followed up a terrific first-round selection of Arvell Reese at No. 5 overall by selecting Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa with the choice they received in the Dexter Lawrence trade with Cincinnati.
There is no doubt that the Giants need to address the offensive line in order to build a better unit in front of second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart. Mauigoa should push Jermaine Eluemenor for the starting right tackle position. However, this pick does come with some negative news.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reported ahead of the draft that Mauigoa has been dealing with a herniated disc in his back. A surgery could sideline him for up to three months and stunt his development. While the injury is considered to be minor, it was at least a topic of discussion by some teams ahead of the draft.
One of those teams was clearly the Cleveland Browns, who opted to take Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano one pick ahead of Mauigoa. While Mauigoa was the top-rated offensive lineman by most, the Browns may have been scared off by this potential issue.
It's a great possibility that this herniated disc will require surgery at some point, but the Giants were obviously not terribly concerned about it.
Mauigia was a three-year starter for the Hurricanes, making 42 starts at right tackle. That is the position he projects best at in the NFL, but he has traits that could also lead the team to believe he would be successful at guard as well.
The Giants need stability along the offensive line and this quote is going to endear him to fans and guys like Dart quickly.
New York Giants Malik Nabers reacts to the #DallasCowboys selecting Caleb Downs.“I’d rather get him than play against him…I gotta play against this thing again…bro he’s good. He’s very good, he’s VERY good.”(🎥: @BleacherReport on YT) pic.twitter.com/k3KgnpvorA
There is no doubt that the Giants have gotten a smart player with plenty of heart who is going to give 100 percent on every play. The injury concern may be minor, but the fact that it's even a story has to be concerning, particularly when a player like Caleb Downs was still on the board.
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Downs was seen as a strong potential fit for the Giants, even at the No. 5 pick. Not only did the Giants not select him, but the Dallas Cowboys traded up to the very next pick after the Giants selected Mauigoa to take him,
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