The New York Giants made Francis ‘Sisi’ Mauigoa the 10th pick in the 2026 NFL draft, fully “aware” the offensive tackle faces a potentially “necessary” and early risk to his health.
It’s a risk tied to the possibility of the former University of Miami star undergoing surgery sooner, rather than later. That’s one foreseeable near future, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic.
Duggan revealed “The Giants are aware surgery could eventually be necessary, but they don’t believe it’s a certainty.”
Mauigoa’s injury status, specifically a herniated disc in his back identified as the Scouting Combine, was viewed as a “red flag” for his first-round status. Perhaps the Giants ignored the warning because of ex-Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh’s history with a three-time Pro Bowl lineman who also entered the NFL with the same issue and soon needed surgery.
Giants Took Tyler Linderbaum Risk With Francis Mauigoa
Duggan explained how “Former Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum had a similar issue during training camp in 2024; Linderbaum was sidelined for most of camp but he started all 17 games that season.”
Linderbaum’s swift return to the Ravens represents a best-case scenario for the Giants, if Mauigoa needs surgery. There’s also the possibility of further procedures, similar to another prominent name recounted by Duggan: “Former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski missed a season in college due to surgery for a herniated disc and had two more surgeries during his NFL career that caused him to miss chunks of seasons, but the issue didn’t prevent him from having a Hall of Fame-caliber career.”
Ultimately, Duggan believes “It’s possible that Mauigoa could get surgery next offseason if his back bothers him during his rookie season.”
Avoiding early surgery will suit Harbaugh and the Giants most. Particularly because of how Mauigoa can transform Big Blue’s identity on offense.
Draft Changed Faltering Offense
The Giants emerged from this draft having gotten bigger and more physical on offense. A trend underpinned by 6-foot-5, 329-pounder Mauigoa, whose aggressive, mauling style is perfect for Harbaugh’s veteran run-game guru Greg Roman’s smash-mouth ground attack.
Mauigoa already sounds keen to lead the way for one punishing Giants running back. His presence at guard, where general manager Joe Schoen has already indicated the 20-year-old will line up, per Giants.com Senior Managing Editor Dan Salomone, will be key to Harbaugh recreating a Ravens style of football.
So will third-round pick Malachi Fields, a 6-foot-4, 218-pound target who brings a big body to the passing game, despite genuine concerns about the nuances of his skill-set as a wide receiver.
The Giants even continued the trend of adding size and tenacity on this side of the ball after the draft. When the team snagged another mammoth blocker off the undrafted free agent market.
Moves like these signal a change in both athleticism and mindset for the Giants. A change set to be defined by how they perform in the trenches.
That performance will depend a lot on how healthy Mauigoa remains early in his career and how long he can postpone any necessary surgery.
Giants ‘Aware’ of ‘Necessary’ Francis Mauigoa Risk