Officially, football fans have no idea whether the Miami Dolphins intended to take local standout offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa in last month’s NFL draft.
However, speculation has nonetheless ramped up that the Dolphins were interested in adding Mauigoa, an All-American guard with the Hurricanes, had the New York Giants not selected him at No. 10.
What does Mauigoa, a consensus All-American, think about the recent rumors?
“I’m here, so ain’t nothing they can do about it,” Mauigoa joked during rookie minicamp. “First dibs.”
With an attitude like that, Mauigoa might not need long to win over Giants fans.
Did the Dolphins intend to steal Francis Mauigoa away from the Giants?
The Giants’ aptly named "Giants Life" showed footage of an unidentified team calling general manager Joe Schoen during the draft. Although the exact offer is unknown, the team in question wanted the Giants’ second first-round pick.
Schoen and John Harbaugh had already selected Ohio State edge rusher Arvell Reese at No. 5. At the time, the Giants appeared poised to either address the offensive line, wide receiver, or the secondary at No. 10.
“There’s no guarantee he’s going to be there [after a trade-down],” Schoen told Harbaugh. “I think they are coming up for an offensive lineman.”
It remains unclear who the player in question was. However, Schoen’s reference to an offensive lineman has created the impression that the other team wanted Mauigoa.
The Dolphins took Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor at No. 12, and the Ravens selected Penn State guard Vega Ioane two picks later.
The New York Post pitched the idea that Miami would have traded the No. 11 and No. 30 picks for No. 10 and No. 37. The Dolphins instead traded down one spot with Dallas, which took Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.
Mauigoa, who played right tackle at Miami, is expected to be the Week 1 starter at right guard. Hurricanes offensive line coach Alex Mirabal had Mauigoa play guard in practice ahead of his NFL career.
“Coach Mirabal believed in knowing all the positions,” Mauigoa said. “If you play all the positions, you make yourself valuable. Also, if you play right tackle, right guard, center, you know everybody’s job — and it makes it easier for you to know what you’re doing and what your teammates are doing.”
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