ESPN's Peter Schrager releases first mock draft
The 2026 NFL Draft is just over two weeks away.
Over the next 16 days, every draft analyst in the business is likely to release new projections for the first round (and beyond).
ESPN's Peter Schrager only releases two mock drafts every year, the first of which just came out this morning.
In his first mock, Schrager has the Giants addressing the O-line with the selection of Miami's Francis Mauigoa at No. 5.
"New coach John Harbaugh referred to the offensive line as a 'work in progress' at the league meetings," wrote Schrager. "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. Mauigoa is expected to be the first offensive lineman off the board."
Mauigoa got his collegiate career off to a strong start, as he earned Freshman All-American honors in 2023 after starting all 13 games at right tackle.
The 6-foot-5, 329-pound lineman only got better from there. He once again started all 13 games at right tackle as a true sophomore and was named second-team All-ACC after allowing just one sack on 541 pass block snaps.
Mauigoa saved his best for this past season. The young lineman started all 16 games at right tackle as he finished his time at Miami having never missed a start (42 consecutive games). He surrendered just two sacks and 10 total pressures on 439 pass block snaps, which earned him Consensus All-American honors.
He was also named first-team All-ACC along with the recipient of the ACC Jacobs Blocking Trophy, given to the conference's top blocker.
Here are the first five picks in Schrager's inaugural mock draft:
Las Vegas Raiders - Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
New York Jets - David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech
Arizona Cardinals - Arvell Reese, LB/Edge, Ohio State
Tennessee Titans - Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
New York Giants - Francis Mauigoa, OL, Miami