OT Francis Mauigoa to the Cardinals at #3? Not so fast….

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MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JANUARY 19: Ezekiel Marcelin Jr. #54 and Francis Mauigoa #61 of the Miami Hurricanes look on after a loss to the Indiana Hoosiers in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images

NFL draft prospects are examined in more ways than just on the field production. Their health and past issues are poked and prodded all the way until draft day. The last thing an NFL club wants to find out later is that they purchased damaged goods.

Usually a top-tier guy will need to begin playing in his first season in the league, not years down the road. For one, the team is paying his salary the entire time he is laid up. For another, they drafted the athlete for a reason. They need him to play, and fill the need.

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RELATED: OT FRANCIS MAUIGOA PROFILE

The Cardinals own the third overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, slated for April 23-25. Their roster has plenty of needs, although GM Monti Ossenfort had a really good free agent period and filled quite a few needs with seasoned veterans.

After last year’s debacle, which ended with 14 losses, Arizona’s brass took a notepad and began jotting down the problem areas. No doubt that the offensive line was front and center. The offensive output, almost every game, had some area where the offensive line caved in or did not finish. Both guard spots were weak, plus both starting tackles, Jonah Williams and Paris Johnson, Jr., ended up on IR at some point. In their place were inferior players.

So, Ossenfort signed four offensive line veterans. Most likely there will be three new linemates starting in 2026.

With owning the #3 pick, the best offensive lineman in this year’s draft, Francis Mauigoa out of Miami, has been a hot topic for the Cardinals. Most NFL draft sites have Arizona taking the massive tackle who is 6’-5” tall and weighs a beefy 329 pounds.

By taking Mauigoa, despite Ossenfort’s free agent signings, this guarantees that the O-Line will have some talented young players to hang with Johnson, who was a first-round draft pick in 2023, taken with the sixth overall pick. Having too many good players is a great position for O-Line coach Justin Frye, his assistant Chris Cook, and OC Nathaniel Hackett to have.

But now comes word that Mauigoa just might have a health issue. Ouch.

The problem centers around a recurring back problem, specifically a disc issue.

Anyone who has ever had a back problem knows that this part of your body controls everything a person does. It tends to linger but never quite goes away, even while taking medicines designed to lessen the discomfort and relax the muscles around this area.

It was revealed during the Combine. In the first few days, each player ends up at Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital, where they are tested and examined by specialists and surgeons for hours. If a player goes to the Combine with an ailment already known, that athlete may spend eight hours at the hospital. The otherwise healthy players will be there for approximately four hours minimum.

The NFL does not spare any expense to evaluate the health of potential prospects. Players receive specialized heart screenings, including electrocardiograms and echocardiograms, to detect potential anomalies. Many players have arrived in Indianapolis healthy and left the Combine with a different health grade because doctors found something. Health assessments are a crucial portion of scouting.

An example of getting it right came when the Las Vegas Raiders worked out a trade with the Baltimore Ravens for EDGE rusher Maxx Crosby. The Ravens’ doctors saw something they didn’t like during the physical portion, and the deal was gone. The Cleveland Browns broke off a free agent deal they made with Buffalo Bills DE A.J. Epenesa because of similar concerns when it came to imaging results.

Mauigoa told doctors he played almost all year with a slight back issue. Mauigoa started 42 straight games at Miami in a tough conference, including all 16 this season, all the way into the National Championship Game. He recently participated in Miami’s Pro Day without any issues.

But now, several NFL clubs are asking for more testing regarding that one disc. Mauigoa was completely cooperative at the Combine and continues to be, so he is headed back to Indianapolis on Friday for more imaging and testing.

The doctor’s assessment is that he is not considered a candidate for immediate surgery. Note the key phrase “immediate.” Mauigoa is an offensive tackle. While players like receiver and cornerback may get contact once in a while during a game, every offensive lineman engages a defender on every single snap. That is a ton of pounding, pushing, and hitting every game. Times 17 games. Times how many years?

It is difficult to believe that every draft prospect is completely healthy. The game is violent. At the NFL level, the violence is amplified.

Mauigoa is the Number 1 offensive tackle prospect and played all year with what he described as “causing him some discomfort late in the season.” He is currently symptom-free. 

Discs can slide out of place. They can become irritated or “protrude” and have to be massaged back into place. Discs can handle quite a lot of pressure or load without problems. But certain types of pressure can cause strain and irritation of the outer shell. It can also be a symptom from a nearby nerve causing the slight pain.

One thing is certain: Mauigoa is being honest and forthright. He isn’t dodging the conversation, and hopefully, he will get a full green light once he leaves Indianapolis.

For Cardinals fans, it is not the time to jump off the bandwagon and blow things out of proportion regarding whether to select Mauigoa or pass. Let this play out, and see what the doctors are saying. Mauigoa is the Consensus Big Board’s fifth-best player and is expected to be selected during the initial 10 picks in Round 1.

Yes, the NFL has partnered with Indiana University Health for this testing, which is considered a critical part of evaluating draft prospects. But the testing the league pays for is to benefit all of its member clubs.

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