Miami Hurricanes right tackle Francis Mauigoa is one of the most talented offensive linemen in college football. The American Samoa native was a consensus All-American in 2025, and he’s been an All-ACC performer each of the last two years.
His success and traits such as anchor strength, hand placement, pad level, and spatial awareness project him as a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
These are five teams that make sense as the best landing spots for Miami’s star offensive lineman, ranked in order of how often he gets picked by each team in the PFSN NFL Mock Draft Simulator.
Detroit Lions
If the Detroit Lions end up selecting Mauigoa, there’s likely some adjusting they’d have to do along their offensive line. In the wake of Taylor Decker indicating he may retire this offseason, the left tackle position becomes pretty wide open on the Lions’ roster. A potential fix could be to move star right tackle Penei Sewell over to the blind side.
Either way, the Lions would need to acquire a new starting offensive tackle. They’re a little further down the board with the No. 17 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, so there’s no guarantee that Mauigoa’s even there for them to consider to begin with. However, Detroit’s successes before 2025 were built on a dominant offensive line. They should prioritize getting back to that standard.
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans’ offensive line improved in 2025, but there’s still plenty of work to be done. Trent Brown graded as their top performer by PFSN’s OL Impact scoring at 87.0, but he’s currently on just a one-year deal. There’s no guarantee he’ll stick around long term, and the other key competitor at right tackle, Tytus Howard, is what he is at this stage of his career.
Mauigoa would be an immediate upgrade for the Texans’ offensive line. The unit didn’t allow as many sacks as it did in 2024, but there’s still clear room for improvement. Houston has the top defense in the NFL by Defense Impact grading, but its offense has been hit-or-miss. In order to get C.J. Stroud back to his rookie-year form, they’ll need to surround him with as much talent up front as possible.
Miami Dolphins
A recurring theme during Tua Tagovailoa’s time with the Miami Dolphins was his frequent injuries. Though Tagovailoa’s run with the team seems to be nearing its end, they’ll need to learn from their mistakes and better protect their next quarterback. A big part of that will include investment in their offensive line.
Neither of the Dolphins’ starting tackles, Austin Jackson or Patrick Paul, graded above a C- by OL Impact in 2025. That’s particularly jarring for Jackson, seeing as though he came into the NFL at the same time as star linemen like Tristan Wirfs and Andrew Thomas and has yet to sniff their success. Mauigoa would be a strong replacement for either of Miami’s starting linemen, and he wouldn’t need to travel that far from his college to do so.
Arizona Cardinals
Of the five teams on this list, the Arizona Cardinals have by far the earliest first-round selection with the No. 3 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Taking Mauigoa that high would be a reach by PFSN’s HQ, which has him graded No. 18 overall in the class. There’s certainly an argument to be had about drafting him that early, however.
RELATED: 2026 NFL Draft: PFSN’s Consensus Top 10 Offensive Tackles Include Caleb Lomu, Spencer Fano
Mauigoa is a sturdy, intelligent, refined right tackle who fits perfectly with one of Arizona’s biggest needs. They have a star left tackle in Paris Johnson Jr, but they lack a reliable running-mate on the opposite side. The Cardinals don’t have their answer at quarterback anymore, but the two other most important positions in football are the guys who rush the passer and the guys who protect him. Drafting Mauigoa would significantly boost the latter.
Baltimore Ravens
Should the Baltimore Ravens end up drafting Mauigoa with the No. 14 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, there’s a good chance they see him as a guard. It’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility, as his arms appear shorter than the average early-round tackle prospect. A kick inside would require some adjusting, but it would surely be better than what the Ravens have along their interior now.
Of the 74 qualified guards in PFSN’s OL Impact database, the Ravens’ two starting guards this year rank No. 38 and No. 41, respectively. Daniel Faalele, who holds the latter of the two rankings, hits free agency this offseason and has been far too inconsistent to pay big money to. Mauigoa would be an immediate upgrade to Baltimore’s interior offensive line with the potential to become a Pro Bowl talent.