In a surprise, the Wisconsin Badgers didn’t see a single player drafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, with edge rusher Mason Reiger not being picked up despite it being a weaker overall class.
Reiger, a 6’5, 250-pound senior, had a resurgent season in 2025 after missing all of the 2024 season at Louisville due to injury. He finished the year with 32 tackles, five sacks, and a pass breakup, while leading the Badgers with 45 pressures.
He was a relentless effort player, which aided him in both the run and the pass
game, as he cemented himself as an NFL prospect. Here’s what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had to say about Reiger when grading him as a fifth-round prospect.
“Reiger is a tall, linear edge rusher with a slender frame,” Zierlein wrote. “He doesn’t look like a pro pre-snap, but he certainly plays like one after the snap. He lacks the size/anchor to consistently set the edge and can be controlled when tackles latch on, but he’s unusually talented to work off contact for quick wins at the point of attack.
“He’s a short-striding rusher who takes similar tracks at similar speeds and is more pressure-creator than sack-finisher at this time. However, altering his approach (tempo and angles) and adding a better inside counter could create a bump in his sack production. Reiger needs more mass and refinement but could become a good rotational odd-front edge in time.”
Reiger will now look to make his mark as an undrafted free agent as he begins his NFL career, looking to be the next pass-rusher out of Wisconsin.
