Veteran right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor will become an unrestricted free agent after the best season of his career, meaning he’s likely to generate some interest. If the Giants fail to bring him back, they will again need to find a bookend for Andrew Thomas.
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In NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks’ first mock draft, they do exactly that with Miami’s Francis Mauigoa going No. 5 overall.
The Giants return to their menacing form under new coach John Harbaugh by strengthening the trenches with new talent. Mauigoa is a natural right tackle who specializes in intimidating defenders at the point of attack with superior size and strength, and New York could have a hole at the position with Jermaine Eluemunor’s impending free agency.
Fellow NFL Network analyst Lance Zierlein believes Mauigoa is likely to move inside to protect at the NFL level.
Highly touted prospect who lived up to expectations as a durable three-year starter at right tackle. Mauigoa has the wide build of a guard, but moves like a tackle on passes. He has a lot of experience and an impressive football IQ that shows on record. It has good contact balance and a strong core. He offers firm first contact, but excessive lean diminishes not only his leverage and sustain as a run blocker, but also his ability to deal with counterattacks when guarding. He is good at catching attackers in turns and can stifle their momentum. He has the footwork, anchor and timing of shots to diversify his passing approach. He works with an innate sense of depth in the pocket and is rarely outspeeded to the top. Mauigoa has a high ceiling but the slope must be eradicated. He’ll be an early starter at right tackle, but a move to guard could be on the table down the road.
With Marcus Mbow, a 2025 fifth-round pick, already on the roster and having gained valuable tackle experience as a rookie, it seems unlikely, but not impossible, that the Giants would select an offensive lineman fifth overall.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants Add Intimidating Inning in Bucky Brooks’ First Mock Draft