Francis Mauigoa — 2026 NFL Mock Draft Roundup 2.0

The Cardinals must improve on the offensive line under new head coach Mike LaFleur. Mauigoa brings a dose of nastiness to the unit.

The Cardinals had brief discussions* with the Raiders on a package that would include quarterback Kyler Murray and the No. 3 pick for the chance to draft Mendoza. (*By "brief," we mean we could hear laughter coming through our Slack channel.) All good. The Cardinals can use free agency to settle their QB situation and the draft to bolster their offensive line. Arizona's performance up front last season was terrible, so immediate help is needed. At 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds, Mauigoa has great size and a mean streak the Cardinals need. Along with left tackle Paris Johnson Jr., he gives them solid building blocks up front. Baby steps.

I have Fano as my top tackle, but the gap between him and Miami's Francis Mauigoa isn't significant. Some will argue he's better suited to play guard, and I get why scouts feel that way, but I see an above-average starting tackle in the NFL.

Mauigoa plugs in at right tackle and upgrades an offensive line in desperate need of help.

Like the Jets, the Cardinals feel unlikely to take a quarterback this high despite a significant need. If the Cardinals adopt a system under new head coach Mike LaFleur that mirrors what the Rams ran this past season (where LaFleur was the OC), they will prioritize a gap running scheme with powerful offensive linemen. That fits well with Mauigoa, who plays with exceptional power and very good foot speed for a player of his six (6-foot-6, 315 pounds). He allowed only two sacks and six pressures his final college season, and Arizona needs to improve at right tackle opposite Paris Johnson Jr.

The Cardinals have question marks at quarterback under new head coach Mike LaFleur, and could feasibly draft just about any position here and it would make sense given the state of their roster. Other players in this class might rise as pure offensive tackles, but Mauigoa has earned the right for a chance at right tackle at the next level. Mauigoa is a mauling run blocker with clean technique who seldom gets caught out of position. Whether he ends up at right tackle or kicks inside to guard, he is a great fit for a Cardinals team that desperately needs more talent up front to complement left tackle Paris Johnson Jr., who has shown flashes of future stardom but got caught up in this franchise's messiness.

New Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur needs to figure out what to do at quarterback. But they've got to fix the offensive line, too. They were bottom-five in the league in sacks allowed and rushing.

So, the Cardinals should take Mauigoa, who is my top offensive lineman in this draft. He didn't just dominate lesser opponents, but Mauigoa also stood out over the course of the CFP. That offensive line dominated in the CFP against some pretty stout defensive lines, with Mauigoa allowing just one quarterback hit.