2026 No. 10 overall pick Francis Mauigoa will eventually take over as the New York Giants' right tackle. However, the team's incumbent starter, Jermaine Eluemunor, doesn't anticipate a changing of the guard anytime soon.
Turning 32 in December, Eluemunor feels like he's still in his prime. Even if that's a bit of a stretch, the London native is arguably getting better with age. Be that as it may, many expect him to give way to Mauigoa before long, but maybe we should pump the brakes a little.
Eluemunor said he's "really excited to have" Mauigoa as a running mate, via Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post ($) — not a protégé.
"Mentorship sometimes means you're towards the end of your career, and I'm nowhere near that. I'm right in the middle of it," Eluemunor stated. "So, for me, I'm going to bring him along with me. He's going to be right next to me, hopefully for a long time."
Giants RT Jermaine Eluemunor has no plans of taking a back seat to Francis Mauigoa anytime soon
In fairness, there's no reason for Eluemunor, a player who's always carried himself with a boulder-sized chip on his shoulder, to think about getting replaced. The stalwart is coming off the best season he's had to date and was rewarded with a three-year, $39 million contract extension in March.
Yet, Mauigoa's arrival ostensibly complicates matters, or so we thought. This isn't exactly a teacher-student relationship, according to Eluemunor. The latter envisions himself and the former Miami standout coexisting for the long haul.
The goal is for the rookie and the veteran to form a powerful duo on the right side of Big Blue's offensive line moving forward. At least that's how Eluemunor sees it; he plans to continue growing and to try taking Mauigoa along for the ride.
Whether the Giants are on the same page, though, is another question. Their significant investment in Mauigoa suggests they have plans to form a top-tier bookend tandem with star left tackle Andrew Thomas. Nevertheless, Eluemunor is seemingly focused on what he can control: keep showing up and showing out.
It was a turbulent 2025 campaign for the Giants, yet Eluemunor managed to shine, eclipsing 1,000 snaps for the first time in a single season. He allowed 19 quarterback pressures and 12 hurries across 16 games. His efforts yielded a strong 76.7 Pro Football Focus' pass-blocking grade, good for 20th among 89 qualified tackles.
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