Road paver. When that’s the first thing that comes to mind when describing a lineman, you’re probably dealing with someone electric -- and that’s exactly how NFL insider -- and longtime Giants fan -- Peter Schrager described Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa in his latest ESPN mock draft.
Schrags has the 6-foot-6, 330-pounder steamrolling his way to North Jersey with the fifth pick to give the Giants' offensive line a true mauler:
"New coach John Harbaugh referred to the offensive line as a "work in progress" at the league meetings. That's not what you want in front of a franchise quarterback who has shown a tendency to use his legs. But Jaxson Dart would love Mauigoa, a road paver with positional versatility."
Even after signing Daniel Faalele and Lucas Patrick and bringing Jermaine Eluemunor, Evan Neal, and Joshua Ezeudu back, the line is still under construction. Most notably, there's still a Greg Van Roten-sized opening at right guard. And that just so happens to make Mauigoa an awesome choice at five.
Francis Mauigoa comes with construction helmets included
Calling an offensive lineman a road paver is like calling a blogger "must-read" ... but in the best way. Their job is to keep the pocket clean for the passing game and to bully defenders through the second level for the ground game.
The former Miami standout is equipped to do exactly that.
If the name of the game is to give franchise quarterback Jaxson Dart all the support he can get, this is an absolute no-brainer. There will be more chances to add to his weapon repertoire later in the draft. But they’re not getting a player of Mauigoa’s caliber in the later rounds. There’s no better best friend for a young quarterback’s development than time in the pocket.
While it might feel early to take a tackle who’ll likely move inside to guard, positional value can only matter so much. Plus, Ohio State defenders Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles are in play that early too, and Downs is a safety while Styles is a linebacker. Not to mention, they’re also looking at Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love when they already have Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr., and Devin Singletary. It’s all about getting the best players.
So what if he plays inside to begin his career? With Eluemunor not getting any younger, there’s a chance Mauigoa could eventually kick back outside and man the perimeter for the foreseeable future after getting his feet wet demolishing nose tackles.
Shrages had me at "road paver." Consider me all the way in on Mauigoa paving the way for Big Blue.