Cody Mauch NFL Draft Overview
Position: Offensive Tackle
Height: 6’-5”
Weight: 303 pounds
School: North Dakota State
2023 NFL Draft: Cody Mauch NFL Draft Profile
As a North Dakota native who grew up in Hankinson, Cody Mauch attended NDSU as a walk-on tight end. Through his time there he would put on 70 pounds through the school meal plan, move to the offensive line, and became a force of nature at the position. It’s impossible to miss him in a crowd, his larger-than-life presence, red hair, and two missing front teeth make him memorable to anyone who he meets. He actually lost the two front teeth in seventh grade during a basketball game when he dove for a basketball. If that doesn’t speak to his competitive nature, nothing will.
Cody Mauch played all five positions across the offensive line and had relative success at all of them. He has a strong football knowledge for an offensive lineman which comes from his high school experience of playing tight end, quarterback, and defensive line. While he may have put on 70 pounds, he hasn’t lost the quickness from being a tight end and rarely is beaten by pure speed alone. He also carries a chip on his shoulder from being a walk on and it is evident from the nastiness in his play, exactly what you want from an offensive lineman. The violence he plays with gets him to the second level quicker than most, and that’s where he can be deadly.
Whether it’s Napoleon Dynamite videos from his past or celebration videos with his teammates at NDSU, Mauch is a locker-room guy who has the right attitude. He may have lost his two front teeth but that doesn’t stop him from flashing his iconic. Across the four seasons he played at NDSU he only gave up two sacks which is an impressive accomplishment, regardless of the level of competition. Cody Mauch is well suited to make any offensive line he joins better and can easily fit due to his versatility.
Strengths
- Excellent run blocker;
- Experience at every position on the offensive line;
- Explosive burst off the line;
- Bulked up 70 pounds as a walk on tight end;
- Still has quickness from being a tight end;
- Great fit for zone blocking scheme;
- Only gave up two sacks over four seasons.
Weaknesses
- 33-inch wingspan not ideal for a left tackle;
- Level of competition in the Big ten;
- Second-level blocking technique can be sloppy;
- Gets hands caught up in pass protection;
- Pad level in pass protection can be too low;
- Consistency.
NFL Comparison: A versatile Ryan Jensen
Teams With A Need: Chicago Bears, Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, New England Patriots
Projection: Second-round pick
Bottom Line on Cody Mauch
Cody Mauch likely won’t get his first shot at being a left tackle due to his wingspan and the questions in pass protection. His versatility across the line will help him slide into either right tackle or guard which will give him the opportunity he needs to demonstrate his dominance. Teams may be skeptical of his ability to become an elite-level left tackle but proving the doubters wrong is nothing new to Mauch. If he can come in as a walk-on tight end, transform into an offensive lineman 70 pounds later, and dominate, there is no reason he can’t do the same at the next level. He will be taken in the second round and there is a strong chance that he could slide up to the end of the first.
