Riley Mahlman, Wisconsin: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Mahlman was a four-star recruit from Lakeville South High School in Lakeville, Minn. in the class of 2021

Wisconsin right tackle Riley Mahlman had up-and-down tape in 2023. Mahlman’s power pops in the run game, and he had some strong reps in pass protection against future NFL players this past season. He projects as a late Day 2 to early Day 3 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

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Riley Mahlman, OT Wisconsin: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt junior right tackle from Lakeville, Minn.

Background: Mahlman was a four-star recruit from Lakeville South High School in Lakeville, Minn. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 142 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 149 for On3.com. Mahlman was an unranked four-star recruit for Rivals. ESPN ranked him 183rd in the nation with an 83 grade out of 100. Mahlman earned First Team All-Metro honors from The Star Tribune as a high school senior. He was a First Team All-State selection as a junior and earned Academic All-State honors as a junior and senior. Mahlman received an invitation to the 2021 All-American Bowl.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed six games in 2022 due to a left knee injury

Awards: N/A

Pros: Massive but sturdy frame, powerful frame is tough to beat when he stays square to the defender, outside linebackers can’t play through him, arm length appears to check box, power to overwhelm and finish defenders, matches power with power, good core strength, good but not great anchor, quick reaction to the snap, range in pass pro appeared to improve throughout 2023, large enough frame to extend and push rushers up the arc, overpowers and takes down defenders at the top of the arc, plenty of positive reps in pass pro vs. Ohio State (2023), overpowering vs. Iowa (2023), strong showing vs. Brennan Jackson (2023), pop in hands shows up against smaller rushers, clamp strength showed up vs. Iowa (2023), adjusts for most stunts, caves in defenders on down blocks, maintains a nice sized B-gap when sealing the edge outside for the run game, large steps help execute reach blocks, sustains blocks on the move

Cons: Committed 11 penalties over the past two seasons, grabbing and tugging on jerseys will lead to holds, outclassed vs. Illinois (2023), extremely high pad level, wide hands invite defenders into his frame, locked out by long-arm moves, takes on contact with a narrow base, lower body stalls during contact, chest gets over knees allowing defenders to bend under him, lacks ideal agility, lacks agility to mirror defenders, corrective footwork isn’t fast enough, beaten by B-gap counters consistently, some undersets vs. wide alignment rushers, wide alignment rushers test his range, punches can be slow and predictable, mid-play hand counters are underwhelming, occasional miscommunications with his supporting blockers, doesn’t notice all stunts, instances of bearhugging instead of clamping in pass pro, pulled forward and off balance in pass pro, stumbles and loses balance, ends up on the ground often, lunges into blocks in the run game, awkward mover in space

Overview: Mahlman has a massive, sturdy frame that defenders struggle to play through with power. His anchor is good but not great because of his height, but it’s still a difficult task for power rushers to outduel him. Mahlman’s arm length appears to meet NFL standards, even if it isn’t elite. He matches power with power in pass protection and is strong enough to overwhelm and finish defenders to the ground at the top of the arc. Mahlman reacts to the snap quickly and displayed improving range in pass protection throughout 2023. When threatened vertically, he extends his upper body and uses his large frame to push rushers up and around the pocket. Explosive wide alignment rushers test the Minnesota native’s range, and he’s guilty of undersetting against some defenders. He drew 11 penalties over the past two seasons because of his tendency to grab and tug on jerseys while trying to maintain his clamp. Mahlman plays with a very high pad level and wide initial hand placement that invites defenders into his frame. He doesn’t have a wide array of hand counters to use against pass rushers who deploy long-arm moves and other attacks. The former four-star recruit accepts contact with a narrow base that impacts his agility and balance, and his lower body sometimes stalls during contact, allowing rushers to redirect around his shoulders. Mahlman’s chest extends over his knees on vertical pass sets, which allows athletic defenders to bend under him and turn the corner. The redshirt junior doesn’t have the agility to mirror pass rushers, and his corrective footwork isn’t fast enough to redirect and cut off rushers. Defenders beat him with B-gap counters consistently. His punches can be slow and easy for defenders to avoid or counter. Mahlman displays some pop in his hands against smaller pass rushers, and his clamp strength stood out against Iowa (2023). However, there are instances when he defaults to bearhugging the defender instead of clamping down and locking out. Mahlman picks up most of the stunts defenses run his way, but he misses a few. There was a massive difference between his Iowa and Illinois tape (both 2023) despite those games being played in back-to-back weeks. He was very under control against the Hawkeyes and never looked significantly threatened by agility or power, but Illinois’ NFL-caliber or borderline NFL-caliber defensive linemen outclassed him. Despite his showing against the Fighting Illini, Mahlman posted good games in pass protection against Washington State’s Brennan Jackson (2023) and Ohio State (2023). Mahlman’s power makes him a force in the run game. He caves in defenders on down blocks and uses his large frame to maintain a nice sized B-gap for runs between the tackles. His large steps help him execute reach blocks, and he sustains blocks on the move thanks to his core strength. He stumbles and loses balance too often and can be pulled off balance by defenders. Mahlman sometimes lunges into blocks and spends too much time on the ground. He is an awkward mover in space.

Overall, Mahlman showed flashes of quality play against NFL-caliber opponents in 2023 but also struggled mightily in a few games. His agility and balance are concerning, but his power is impressive. Mahlman is still developing, and he could be a scheme-specific late third round pick if his peaks become more consistent and he avoids the valleys he hit as a redshirt sophomore.

Role & Scheme Fit: Right tackle in an inside zone or power run scheme

Round Projection: Late Third to Mid Fourth

Size: 6'8", 313 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 03-24-24