The Bucs are turning over a new leaf on offense. Gone will be the days of a static offensive line executing a duo running scheme that doesn’t ask them to move much. In its place will be a new mid-zone scheme that will ask offensive linemen to channel their inner track star. The scheme is predicated on stretching a defense both horizontally AND vertically. It requires athletes who are comfortable not just moving in space, but effectively blocking on the move. Enter Bucs second-round offensive lineman Cody Mauch.

Cody Mauch Can MOVE

The Bucs began their offensive line overhaul with the release of longtime left tackle Donovan Smith and traded away one-year starter Shaq Mason. In order to back fill those players, they signed versatile veteran Matt Feiler. And last week they capped off their mini-transition by selecting North Dakota State offensive lineman Cody Mauch. Pewter Report had a hunch the Bucs would be in on Mauch. That is why we had him as a Bucs Best Bet in our draft preview series.

One of the reasons we were so sure is because he fit the profile of an offensive lineman who could thrive in new offensive coordinator Dave Canales’ zone running scheme. Just look at his measurables.

Cody Mauch’s Combine/Pro-Day Testing Profile from mockdraftables.com

Per MockDraftable.com, Mauch scored extremely well compared to other offensive tackles in every movement drill he participated in. He was in the 82nd percentile in the 40-yard dash, 93rd percentile in the 3-cone drill and the 84th percentile in the short shuttle. These show that Mauch is a fantastic mover for his size. This is backed up by his Relative Athletic Score as calculated by Kent Lee Platte.

Cody Mauch was drafted with pick 48 of round 2 in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.32 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 89 out of 1294 OT from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/4f8clzwa0X pic.twitter.com/kupFoOdQqQ

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 29, 2023

As you can see, Mauch’s size is poor for the OT position and his explosive testing is good. But his speed and agility testing were at the top of the charts. Since the Bucs brass have said they believe Mauch is most likely to be a guard in the NFL for them, I went to Kent’s site RAS.Football and ran Mauch’s testing against that position.

Cody Mauch Relative Athletic Score as a guard. Info derived from ras.football database.

For the position he is moving to, Mauch’s athleticism plays up comparatively as the guard position usually features less athletic players.

Cody Mauch’s Athleticism Goes Beyond Testing – It’s Functional

Workout warriors can be deceiving. Every year there are players who light up the combine or their pro days only to play much slower on the field/tape. That’s not the case with Mauch. Take one look at any of his game films and you see a player who legitimately moves at a different pace than those around him. This is a byproduct of his roots as a tight end. He moves like a skill position player trapped in a big man’s body.

And that is because he is exactly that. My favorite example of this came from his game against South Dakota last year. Keep your eye on No. 70 at left tackle.

Mauch explodes off the snap and easily climbs to the second level, beating the weakside linebacker to his spot. From there hilarity ensues as Mauch consumes the linebacker as he escorts the defender across the field before corkscrewing him into the ground. And to add insult to injury, Mauch body slams him for good measure.

And that is far from the only time he showed he can move to the second level. You can see it again here.

Again, Mauch slips by a defensive end trying to engage him and prevent Mauch from climbing. Again, Mauch slips the engagement, engulfs a linebacker. This time, Mauch stays latched as the linebacker tries to shake him by retreating down field. This was to no avail, as Mauch kept up with him step for step, keeping himself between the defender and the play.

Cody Mauch’s Ability To Hit His Target Makes Him Ideal For Bucs Offense

What sets Mauch apart from other linemen who move well is his ability to consistently hit his target on the move. You saw it on each of those last two clips, and his tape is littered with even more. And it’s not just him climbing. Mauch is an excellent puller, being able to pick up targets moving laterally just as well as when he climbs vertically.

Watch as he ducks behind the down block of the tight end, locates the linebacker (No. 34) moving across the field to the play side and eliminates him from the play. Bucs head coach Todd Bowles is on record as wanting to improve the run game this year. Under Canales’ system this will require offensive linemen who can move smoothly and confidently to eliminate moving targets.

Mauch’s ability to do this will give him a better than even shot to crack the opening day lineup. The strength of that skill set should give him an inside line for a staring role at either left or right guard.

Other Things To Like In Mauch’s Game

Beyond his talents as a plus run blocker who can run at the speed of “Mauch 1,” he has nasty demeanor that evaluators and coaches alike can’t help but love. You saw it on the body slam at the end of the first clip. You can see it again here as Mauch blocks every red jersey he can find until the whistle blows. Watch how he helps push the pile to help the running back gain a few extra yards.

Mauch starts by washing the nose tackle down the line. But then he quickly breaks down and picks up the mike backer, swallowing him whole and taking him for a ride. But as he finishes eating his linebacker meal, Mauch notices that the play isn’t done, and his running back is still trying to churn out additional yardage.

So, what does Mauch do? He rushes into the pile like a bull charging a waving cloth, driving himself forward like a bullet in search of a target.

The man loves being a one-player wrecking crew. He is antagonistic in the best way. In short, Mauch is a younger version of Bucs center Ryan Jensen in more than just the looks department.

That is probably why Jensen excitedly informed general manager Jason Licht “He and I are going to mess some things up.’ And he didn’t use the word mess.”

And while Mauch’s biggest area of opportunity will be getting up to speed with NFL pass blocking techniques, he is not completely devoid of talent there. Watch this ‘snatch and trap’ Mauch employs to a ‘T’.

Mauch gets his strong hands on the edge rusher’s chest, catches him leaning in a bit too far, and rips him down to the ground. The plop on top was just for some extra fun, I’m sure.

Ultimately, Mauch has the solid foundation to be a good NFL guard. He possesses several traits the Bucs surely covet. A nasty play demeanor and a projectable pass protection profile are two of those traits. But the potentially prodigious skill that was the basis for his second-round selection is his functional movement skills.