Yeah, that's exactly it, the mail is designed to keep the weapon from cutting and piercing, but only mildly mitigates blunt force. The padding is what deals with that more, and on the legs the padding would tend to be on the thigh. But the good news is that in this period, most of the weapons were of the sword, spear, and other polearm varieties. Hammers and maces weren't as popular yet, since their increased popularity was in response to plate armor.