Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa has been linked to the Arizona Cardinals and their No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft for much of the offseason.
But should he be? ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. isn’t onboard.
“You put the tape on and I see a guy who can get after it. He’s fun and entertaining to watch. … Is he worthy of being No. 3? It’s a little rich for me,” Kiper told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Thursday. “I look at the guys from past years. Is he Orlando Pace? Is he (Tony) Boselli? Is he (Jonathan) Ogden? Is he that kind of guy? Is he Walter Jones? I don’t see that.
“For me, that’s what you have to have. You have to have that elite bookend that’s going to be there playing at a high level year after year and being one of the best in the business. When you compare him to other drafts, his grade (has to be) right up there with the guys I mentioned. I don’t have that right now with Mauigoa.”
Kiper may not have a top 3 grade for Mauigoa, but a whole lot of other analysts do.
RELATED STORIES
Which prospects have Cardinals hosted for pre-draft visits?
Back to the basics: Cardinals begin life under Mike LaFleur
Cardinals host draft prospects Zavion Thomas, Austin Barber
Back to the basics: Cardinals begin life under Mike LaFleur
Cardinals host draft prospects Zavion Thomas, Austin Barber
The Miami tackle is head and shoulders above the rest in the Arizona Sports Mock Draft Tracker with 76 entries linking him to Arizona’s No. 3 pick. Texas Tech pass rusher David Bailey is the closest to Mauigoa at 40, followed by Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese at 30.
As for any hangups regarding a minor back issue he had late last year, no new issues or concerns were reported after undergoing an NFL Draft Combine recheck.
Speaking of Bailey and Reese, Kiper has high grades for both linebackers. They don’t, however, take the top spot in the draft analyst’s mind.
“Don’t forget about the other linebacker at Ohio State. Sonny Styles is a great football player and you can move him around. He’s only played a couple years at linebacker after being a former safety. We’re all into David Bailey and Arvell Reese, but the better linebacker this year if you look game to game was Sonny Styles. And he tested off the charts. He’s a rare talent.
“If you’re looking at Arvell Reese, why wouldn’t you look at Sonny Styles?”
While he didn’t have the kind of output seen in 2024 (100 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, six sacks in 16 games), Styles showed out behind 82 tackles (6.5 for loss), a sack and one interception in 14 games last year.
He then got after it at the combine with a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, 43.5-inch vertical and 11-feet, 3-inch broad jump. Those were the top marks for participating linebackers.
In ESPN analyst Peter Schrager’s mock draft published Tuesday, Styles went No. 7 overall to the Washington Commanders.
Arizona currently has Mack Wilson Sr. and Cody Simon as they’re projected starting inside linebackers in 2026. Jack Gibbens, Owen Pappoe and Austin Keys round out the room.
Wilson stepped into his MIKE backer role well last year but appeared in just eight games due to a rib injury and now enters a contract year.
Follow @Tdrake4sports
Hence then, the article about cardinals taking francis mauigoa at no 3 a little rich for espn s mel kiper jr was published today ( ) and is available on Arizona sports ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Cardinals taking Francis Mauigoa at No. 3 ‘a little rich’ for ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. )
Also on site :