By: Michael Higgins

School: North Dakota State (Senior)

Position: IOL

HT: 6’6

WT: 301 lbs

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #81

Cody Mauch is one of those small school offensive line prospects that everyone falls in love with. Mauch was not even recruited in high school. He received no offers and walked onto North Dakota State, not as an offensive lineman, but as a tight end. Eventually, to earn playing time, Mauch transitioned to the offensive line where he really found his game.

Coming from the tight end position, Mauch is a bit lighter than the average offensive lineman. He moves much faster and displays elite athleticism along the line. He can north to south in a hurry with the play and has great change of direction ability that helps him to pick up new blocking assignments or adjust to stunts and twists. Mauch dominated FCS competition and showed no signs of ever slowing down. Mauch also had one of his best games against FBS Power 5 competition, Arizona. He is physical and aggressive at the point of attack with violent hands, a firm anchor, and a high motor. Cody Mauch is going to give you everything he has, he will play through the whistle on every snap that he is on the field for. He has good footwork and rarely gets beat to the outside, as he can keep up with speed rushers due to his footwork abilities. Mauch is great in gap-creating blocking assignments in which he needs to clear a lane for the ball carrier to run through. He does well to use the defender’s momentum against him and shift the defender to the side and take him away from the ball and out of the play. Cody Mauch is an extremely experienced player, being redshirted in 2017 and then began his playing career with the Bisons in 2018. Cody Mauch may be a bit slight for his position, but according to sources, he has been able to gain nearly 80 pounds since his freshman season. That type of commitment and body transformation is impressive.

Cody Mauch has many traits that scouts will love, he just has a few things working against him. To start, his measurables are extremely lackluster for a tackle. He is in the 10th percentile for arm length and the 4th percentile for wingspan. While it didn’t prove to be a consistent problem at North Dakota State, it will be more of a problem against the longer and much more skilled edge rushers of the NFL. Due to his lack of length, kicking him inside to play guard is not only likely, but it is necessary. Lastly, while Mauch has violent and aggressive hands, the aggressiveness can lead to misplacement and get him off balance in pass protection sets.

Cody Mauch is a mauler in the run game with solid pass protection upside. He is a seasoned college player, but will still require some patience for development as he started out his college career as a tight end. Adding a little bit more weight while also maintaining his speed and athleticism will be key for him to have a smooth transition from the FCS to the NFL.

Scheme Fit: Gap Rushing Offense

Ideal Role: Left Guard

Best Team Fits: HOU, MIN, LVR

Player Comparison: Alex Cappa

Player Grade: 74.8