Mason Reiger didn’t need long to make a name for himself in Madison. After transferring in from Louisville, the edge rusher made the most of his lone season with the Badgers, tapping into the rich tradition of Wisconsin’s "OLB-U" pipeline-and now, NFL scouts are taking notice.
Reiger wasn’t on many draft radars heading into the season. In fact, he was widely viewed as a long shot to even sniff the league.
But that narrative has shifted in a hurry. After earning Defensive MVP honors at the East-West Shrine Bowl, Reiger has started showing up in NFL mock drafts, and his stock is trending in the right direction.
Let’s be clear: we’re not fully into mock draft season just yet. Most projections will start gaining steam after the NFL Combine, when teams get a closer look at measurables and interviews. But that hasn’t stopped a few early mocks from penciling in Reiger as a late-round pick-and possibly more.
One mock draft, generated by the PFF simulator and published shortly after the Shrine Bowl, slotted Reiger to the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh round. The takeaway?
His Shrine Bowl performance opened eyes. As one writer put it, “It is also easy to wonder about his upside after dominating at this week’s East-West Shrine game.”
That kind of phrasing doesn’t just suggest a flyer pick-it hints at untapped potential.
Another projection, this time from a Broncos-focused outlet, also had Reiger going in the seventh round-this time to Denver. But even that mock draft came with a qualifier: “He is going to be a coach’s favorite and likely be drafted earlier than the seventh round.”
Translation? Reiger’s tape and intangibles are starting to turn heads, and there’s a growing belief he could climb boards between now and April.
What’s fueling the buzz? It starts with how he showed out at the Shrine Bowl.
Reiger didn’t just play well-he dominated. In a showcase designed to highlight NFL hopefuls, he was the standout on defense.
That kind of performance doesn’t go unnoticed, especially by scouts looking for high-motor, high-upside players who can contribute early on special teams and eventually carve out a role on defense.
Reiger’s story is the kind scouts love: a player who wasn’t handed anything, worked his way into a Power Five program, and made an immediate impact. He’s the kind of guy who shows up in a training camp and refuses to be ignored.
And while he’s currently showing up as a seventh-round pick, the momentum is building. If he tests well at the Combine or pro day, don’t be surprised if he jumps into Day 3 with a little more fanfare.
For now, Reiger’s name is on the board-and that’s a big win in itself. But the way things are trending, this might just be the beginning.