Dan Salomone

Seconds after being drafted 10th overall by the Giants, Francis Mauigoa was asked live on national television if he had a message for Jaxson Dart.

He did.

"I'm ready to die for you," the 6-foot-6, 329-pound offensive lineman said into the microphone.

That's someone a quarterback wants on his side.

"Jaxson's a great guy," Mauigoa said. "I know he's a Utah guy, from Ole Miss, great quarterback, elite quarterback I would say, with the way he plays and the way he handles things. I feel great in this offense. We're going to get this thing going. We're going to have a lot of fun."

Mauigoa, drafted 10th overall, was a first-team AP All-American at Miami and the program's first winner of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, which is awarded to the most outstanding blocker in the ACC by a poll of the league's head coaches and defensive coordinators.

The plan is for Mauigoa to guard him literally.

Mauigoa never missed a start in college while lining up 42 times at right tackle. But the Giants will play him at guard.

Once he had time to catch his breath, Mauigoa backed up his spontaneous proclamation when he spoke on a conference call with Giants reporters.

"That should be everybody's mentality," he said. "As offensive linemen we should be able to put everything on the line because the quarterback is the key of the offense. So, to be able to block for a quarterback and to be able to make plays and open up holes for the running back, that's what we're supposed to do. It's not something that people want us to It's something that we're expected to do, that's what we need to do."

His general manager heard the comment.

"That's the type of kid he is," Joe Schoen said.