Name: Cody Mauch

School: North Dakota State

Year: RS Senior

Position: Offensive Tackle / Guard

Measurables: 6’5”, 302 lb

Combine: 40 dash- 5.08, 10 split- 1.79, Vertical- 29”, Broad jump-9’0”, Three-cone- 7.33, 20 shuttle- 4.55, Bench- 29

General Info:

Mauch was lightly recruited after he played nine-player football in high school. He walked-on at North Dakota State as a tight end, adding 40 pounds of muscle to make the move to offensive line to begin his sophomore season.

Mauch was a reserve lineman as a sophomore, but appeared in 16 games, mostly on special teams. Was part of a field goal unit that did not allow a blocked kick in 72 PAT attempts and 19 field goal attempts.

Mauch made his first two career starts at right tackle as a junior, then transitioned to left tackle for the remainder of the season. Was named second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference after allowing zero sacks and six pressures on 542 snaps, per PFF.

Started 15 games at left tackle as a senior and allowed one sack and eight pressures on 891 snaps. Was recognized as a second-team AP All-American (FCS) and first-team MVFC.

Mauch used his COVID eligibility to come back for a sixth year and started 15 games at left tackle. He was named to multiple first-team all-American lists, including by the AP. Was named FCS offensive lineman of the year by Phil Steele and FCS ADA (Athletic Directors Association). Was first-team MVFC. Allowed one sack and nine pressures on 856 snaps.

Mauch was part of a North Dakota State team that went 78-8 and won four FCS Division I national championships over his six years. Started 39 consecutive games over his final three seasons, 37 at left tackle. Attended the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl. Turned 24 in January.

Positional Skills:

Strengths

Mauch’s strongest part of his game is his run blocking. Missing two front teeth and sporting a red-haired mullet, Mauch looks the part of a finisher in the run game. North Dakota State is a very run-heavy team, and Mauch played a premium left tackle position for a team that racked up 3,986 yards (265.7/game) and 50 touchdowns on the ground.

Mauch tends to get out of his stance and engage his blocking assignment quickly. Is a bull at the point of attack and is strong enough to drive many defenders into the ground. Displays above average ability to get to the second level on run plays. Mauch was the number two rated run-blocking offensive lineman in the FCS; was third-highest across all NCAA classes, per PFF.

Mauch is an adequate pass blocker. His footwork is average, displaying a decent slide step. Per PFF, he was rated the 48th best pass blocker out of 478 (minimum 139 snaps) with a 81.8 grade. Held his own against higher competition in Division 1 FBS opponent Arizona in 2022. Allowed just two sacks in his career (one in 2022) on 2,457 snaps over parts of five seasons.

Mauch consistently plays through the whistle and even past the whistle at times. A true competitor.

Weaknesses

Although Mauch held his own in pass-block sets, this is the facet of his game that could use the most work.

His play speed oftentimes seemed diminished in pass sets compared to run sets; it’s as if he prefers to run-block and mash people into the ground. Was able to hold his own most of the time, but one knock on him will be that he played lesser competition in the FCS. Will have to greatly improve his pass-block footwork against speedier, smarter edge players in the NFL.

Although he only allowed one sack in 2022, he did allow nine pressures on 304 pass-block sets. Not terrible, but that number would likely be much higher in the NFL. Has short arms that could be an issue with lengthier pass rushers.  

Another knock will be the lack of competition Mauch faced at the collegiate level. Mauch was mostly dominant in his time at North Dakota State, but how that translates to the faster NFL will be a question GM’s will have to ask themselves.

Mauch turned 24 in January. He is a slightly older prospect, which doesn’t diminish his qualities as a football player. But NFL GM’s might take a player two years younger with a similar skill set over Mauch to get more years out of them on their roster. He also only played 16 snaps in his career on the interior of the line, so there isn’t much versatility outside of the two tackle spots.

Fit with the Packers:

Mauch would add an instant attitude and charisma to a Packers offensive line that could use some nastiness. With two missing front teeth, a flowing bright red mullet, and nicknamed ‘Tud’, Mauch screams Green Bay Packer.

Mauch loves to mash defenders and would bring a ton of run-block experience to a Matt LaFluer offense that strives to control the time of possession. With the return of a (hopefully) healthy David Bakhtiari, Mauch could be a prime candidate to take over the right tackle position in his rookie year; those would be pretty solid bookends to a line. If Bakh were to be traded or surprisingly cut before the season, Mauch would be a prime candidate for his left tackle position with 2,176 career snaps at the position in college.

An addition of Mauch would give the Packers flexibility with injury as well. If Bakh’s injury were to flare up, Mauch could slide to his natural left side and Yosh Nijman could fill in on the right side. An NFL roster can never have enough big bodies with the amount of injuries across the league.

If Jordan Love is the quarterback, the Packers have to allow him to be successful by building up front. Yes, they’ve taken nine lineman over the past three drafts, but only three (Zach Tom, Josh Myers, Jon Runyon), have made an impact. The jury is still out on three of them (Sean Rhyan, Rasheed Walker, Jake Hansen), two are no longer with the team (Cole Van Lanen, Simon Stepaniak), and one has underwhelmed (Royce Newman). Newman is a cut candidate in my opinion.

Mauch will likely be a second-round pick in this year’s draft. The Packers would more than likely have to take him at pick 45 in the second round. Would they rather have a receiver there, or would they have already taken one in the first round? If/when the Aaron Rodgers to the Jets saga ends, the Packers could end up with an extra second round pick, the ideal spot to nab Mauch. He did have a meeting with the Packers at the NFL combine, so Mauch is at least on their radar.