The most feel-good stories of NFL drafts are usually the ones in which players defy all odds to make it to the next level. While recruiting analysis has improved dramatically over the years, coaches and recruiting experts still miss diamonds in the rough. The latest example is offensive lineman Cody Mauch, a former North Dakota State University walk-on who was just picked in the second round of the NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Below is a screenshot of the 247Sports recruiting page for Mauch from 2017. He doesn’t have any prospect stars. He didn’t have any college offers (even from NDSU, he enrolled but wasn’t offered by the football program). He doesn’t even have a headshot on the site.
