Mason Reiger should have been drafted, but his medical history may have been what steered teams away. He is one of the better pure motor pass rushers in the draft class and yet fell all the way out of the NFL Draft only to be picked up by the Miami Dolphins as a UDFA. Reiger is now determined to prove the NFL wrong for passing on him.
His first opportunity has arrived as OTAs begin, and he will have a real chance to prove he not only belongs on the roster but also as part of the defensive edge rotational rushers. The Dolphins have a big need in that department; the vacuum is there, Reiger is ready to fill it.
Reiger, though, is going to let the fuel of not being picked motivate him. He told Dolphins Wire, "This is just another opportunity for me to prove all these coaches right that took a chance on me and prove everybody wrong that didn't believe in me."
Every NFL team passed on Mason Reiger and that is now a driving motivation for his NFL dream
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Reiger will now have a chip on his shoulder that will keep him motivated through OTAs, training camp, and into the preseason games. He won't rest until he is part of the rotation for the Dolphins.
He actually came into a really good situation in Miami. According to the same Dolphin Wire article, Reiger will have a chance to prove he belongs and could even be a starter on day 1. "Miami has just one starting edge rusher written in permanent marker on the depth chart right now (Chop Robinson), so if Reiger proves that he's capable of setting the edge and getting after opposing quarterbacks consistently, he could earn a spot on this roster and legitimate opportunities as a rookie."
This wouldn't have been the case with every NFL team; in fact, there were plenty of opportunities where he would have been relegated to the special teams unit without much thought. Miami, though, is working hard to find edge rushers, and they will look under any and every rock. This means they will give Reiger every chance to succeed and prove that he is the player they are looking for.
Reiger has always taken every opportunity and exploded, whether it's in Louisville, Wisconsin, the Senior Bowl, or hopefully now the NFL. He should be NFL-ready by day 1.
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