The New York Jets surprised many draft analysts with their decision to select Miami linebacker Francisco Mauigoa in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
While some labeled the pick a reach, the Jets see something deeper in Mauigoa — a throwback style defender with raw instincts and undeniable grit.
At 6’2″ and 233 pounds, he brings a compact frame and explosive lower body that helps him excel in short-area tackling situations.
Evaluating his college tape tells the story
Mauigoa played 707 snaps last season for Miami, producing 69 total tackles, though his 16.1% missed tackle rate remains a concern.
Despite that, he was active as a blitzer and finished the year with 21 total pressures, showing a knack for disrupting the pocket.
He also logged meaningful reps in coverage, allowing 330 total yards with three touchdowns, six pass breakups, and one interception.
While not elite in horizontal pursuit, he showed consistent anticipation and field IQ, two traits that matter far more at the next level.
The Jets won’t ask him to do too much early, but he’s built to plug gaps and win ugly battles in the trenches when it matters.
Mauigoa isn’t flashy, but his game fits the Jets’ identity
If Quincy Williams plays like a missile launched out of a cannon, Mauigoa is more of a guided warhead — deliberate but destructive.
He’s not the fastest linebacker, having run a 4.60 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, but that’s hardly disqualifying for his role.
The Jets’ defense thrives on attitude and physicality, and Mauigoa checks both boxes — he’s downhill, he’s tough, and he knows where to be.
That alone could earn him a special teams role out of training camp and possibly even some early-down rotational snaps at linebacker.
The Jets view him as a developmental piece, but his college film suggests a player who could grow into something much more reliable.
Why the fifth-round pick may have real staying power
Most experts projected Mauigoa as a seventh-round pick or even a priority undrafted free agent, which adds context to the Jets’ confidence.
They saw past the draft rankings and fell in love with his intangibles — leadership, effort, and the willingness to do the dirty work.
Sometimes those traits are more valuable than athleticism alone, especially for a team needing depth behind its top-tier linebacker group.
If Mauigoa makes the final 53-man roster, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him slowly absorb more responsibility as the year progresses.
That’s often how it begins — as a role player who gradually earns trust, then carves out a place on Sundays through consistency and toughness.
A new energy brewing within the Jets’ linebacker room
Head coach Aaron Glenn loves linebackers who bring violence on every snap, and Mauigoa carries himself like he belongs in that room.
He won’t be expected to leapfrog the primary starters, but don’t be surprised if he works his way up the depth chart.
With the right coaching and scheme fit, Mauigoa could become one of those late-round success stories that helps fortify the Jets’ defensive core.
His path won’t be flashy, and it won’t be easy, but it’s exactly the kind of path a fifth-round pick like him was born to walk.
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