Teams Expect OT Francis Mauigoa To Need Back Surgery

Miami’s Francis Mauigoa has emerged as the draft’s top offensive tackle prospect, although suitors expect that the lineman will eventually have to go under the knife. As Albert Breer of SI.com writes, teams believe Mauigoa will require a cleanup procedure on his back.

This report follows the prospect’s evaluation at the Indianapolis medical recheck. Breer notes that the player is currently symptom-free, so perhaps Mauigoa can delay his impending surgery until next offseason. Either way, it sounds like something the player and his NFL team will have to navigate.

Breer adds that Mauigoa partly earned his reputation due to his durability, as he didn’t miss a single snap for the Hurricanes after joining the school as a true freshman. He finished his Miami career with his most decorated season in 2025, as the lineman earned a number of honors, including first-team All-ACC, a consensus All-American nod, and the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, awarded to the nation’s best blocker.

The six-foot-five, 329-pound prospect has been lauded by scouts for his (obvious) size and power. He’s expected to immediately be a dominant run blocker, although there are some questions about his pass-block ability. As a result, many draft pundits have assumed that Mauigoa is destined to play right tackle in the NFL. However, if a team used a top-10 selection on the Miami product, there’s a chance they’ll eventually see what he can do protecting the blind side.

Mauigoa is currently listed as the 10th-best prospect in the draft in NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah’s updated rankings. He’s gone as high as No. 3 to the Cardinals in several mock drafts, although the Giants (No. 5) and Browns (No. 6) have consistently been listed as the most common landing spots for the offensive tackle. While this recent revelation about a future surgery isn’t ideal, it probably won’t have any impact on the player’s draft stock.