2026 NFL Prospect Profile: Wisconsin’s Offensive Tackle Riley Mahlman

Riley Mahlman attended Lakeville High School in Minnesota, where he played both football and basketball. It didn't take long for Mahlman to figure out his future was in football. He was named to the 2020 USA Today All-USA preseason second team as a junior. He was named a First-Team all-state selection as a junior and was invited to the 2021 All-American Bowl after being named first-team All-Metro by the Minneapolis Star Tribune during his senior season. He was also ranked a four-star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN, and Rivals and committed to the University of Wisconsin over offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern and Ohio State. 

During Mahlman' true freshman season in 2021, he played in only one game against Rutgers and was ultimately redshirted. In 2022, Mahlman saw his time on the field increase, playing in seven games with six starts at right tackle, and finished the season allowing only one sack allowed. In 2023, Mahlman became the everyday starter for the Badgers, starting all 13 games at right tackle. Mahlman kept the starting job as he entered 2024 and started all 12 games at right tackle. At the end of the 2024 season, Mahlman announced that he was coming back to Madison for his last season of eligibility.

Strengths

• Quickness
• Frame
• Strong Hands
• Power
• Base
• Anchoring

Riley Mahlman is quick off the snap and gets his hands inside defenders’ chests to win the battle of leverage. The 6-foot-8 tackle has a huge frame, and his exceptional length creates a large curve for pass rushers to have to get around. Mahlman has a powerful base, and when he keeps his pads low, he has the power to anchor and take on bull rushers. He has strong hands and can control the point of attack all the way through to the whistle. 

Weaknesses

• Consistency
• Lateral Movement
• Spin Move
• Upright
• 2nd Level

On the downside, Mahlman can overplay the faster edge rushers and leave himself vulnerable to spin moves or misdirection. As long as Mahlman stays low, he is productive, but during most games, there will be a time when he comes off with his pads too high and loses his leverage to his opponent. He has problems with his lateral movement and can be beaten by pass rushers who stunt to his inside gap. He will need to get better at getting to the second level in the pros, too, in run support. He’s great at exploding into the first block, but will need to get to the linebackers and or defensive backs faster than he does in college. 

Conclusion 

Riley Mahlman is the prototypical right tackle prospect for an NFL team. He is reliable on the outside and uses his large frame to slow down pass rushers. He is a solid mid-late round pick who should add some depth and one day become a starter for a team. 

A nice pro comparison for Mahlman is the Bills’ Spencer Brown. Brown has grown into a starting right tackle role in the NFL after being selected in the third round out of Northern Iowa. Brown is another 6-foot-8 right tackle who does a stout job of keeping speed rushers at bay.