Essentially the most feel-good tales of NFL drafts are normally those through which gamers defy all odds to make it to the subsequent degree. Whereas recruiting evaluation has improved dramatically over time, coaches and recruiting specialists nonetheless miss diamonds within the tough. The newest instance is offensive lineman Cody Mauch, a former North Dakota State College walk-on who was simply picked within the second spherical of the NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Under is a screenshot of the 247Sports recruiting web page for Mauch from 2017. He doesn’t have any prospect stars. He didn’t have any school gives (even from NDSU, he enrolled however wasn’t provided by the soccer program). He doesn’t also have a headshot on the positioning.
His hometown of Mantador, in response to MaxPreps, has a inhabitants of solely 69 folks.
With none gives, Mauch walked on to the North Dakota State crew as a decent finish in 2017, and created a brand new profile from there. He beefed up from 220 kilos to greater than 300 as he shifted to the offensive line, began 39 straight video games over his closing three seasons, and was drafted by the Buccaneers with the No. 48 decide of the 2023 NFL draft. The Bucs traded up two spots to make sure they might seize him.
The place did Mauch come from? How did he get missed by everyone?
If there was an athletic exercise whereas he was rising up, Mauch was most likely current. The NDSU web site says he performed tight finish, quarterback and defensive finish at Hankinson Excessive Faculty and was a two-time all-region and all-state choice. He set a college file of 13 receiving touchdowns within the 2016 championship season.
He was additionally a basketball all-conference and all-region participant. In keeping with the Buccaneers, his two entrance enamel had been knocked out throughout a seventh-grade basketball recreation and he doesn’t plan to exchange them till his soccer profession is full.
Mauch additionally performed baseball and was a state qualifier in monitor, in response to the NDSU bio.
Buccaneers Vice President of Participant Personnel John Spytek stated that whereas interviewing prospects, they ask who’s one of the best participant they confronted in school.
“The quantity of D-Linemen who introduced up Cody Mauch from the Senior Bowl after not realizing something about him was astounding, and is one thing we all the time take note of,” he stated, per the Buccaneers web site. “They give it some thought for a minute and so they put some thought into it and so they say, ‘That lineman from North Dakota State, he was actually good. He was arduous. He made me work.’”
After years of arduous work, Mauch turned top-of-the-line tales of grit and dedication on this 2023 NFL draft. He’ll deliver that very same mildew to the Buccaneers as he mans the offensive line.