Hankinson native Cody Mauch was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 48th pick of the NFL Draft on Friday.
The second round selection spent three years as a starter on North Dakota State’s offensive line, suiting up for 39 consecutive games at left tackle.
Mauch is the first Hankinson graduate to be selected in the draft and he did it surrounded by family and friends at the Hankinson Community Center.
The Bucs traded up to draft Mauch and it’s the third year in a row an NDSU player has been picked in the second round and the fifth consecutive year the program has had a player picked in any round.
NDSU’s undrafted free agent signees included tight end Noah Gindorff with the Seattle Seahawks, left guard Nash Jensen with the Carolina Panthers, fullback Hunter Luepke with the Dallas Cowboys, and defensive end Spencer Waege with the San Francisco 49ers.
