One Trait That Makes Each Wisconsin Football Prospect Draftable

All signs point to just one Badger — maybe two — being selected in the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.

Still, there's a handful of prospects who could bring plenty to the table for an NFL team even if they don't hear their name called in the Steel City. Wisconsin football's representatives in the 2026 class of NFL rookies will largely be un-drafted free agent signings, but that doesn't mean there's not some legit talent coming out of Madison this year.

Which trait makes each Wisconsin NFL Draft hopeful draftable? We take a look below:

Edge Mason Reiger

Wisconsin defensive lineman Mason Reiger. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Block Shedding.

Reiger's ability to disengage from blocks and work off contact was immediately noticable last fall. Though that didn't translate to the Badgers' sack title (he notched five while Darryl Peterson notched 6.5), he led Wisconsin with a whopping 45 pressures.

Reiger is the kind of pass-rusher whose presence on a big third down you can just feel. He wills his way into the backfield and is excellent at affecting the play even if he doesn't complete the sack. He doesn't have the size and strength to consistently set the edge, but he, like the last Badgers' pass-rusher to get drafted (Nick Herbig), has an innate ability to get after the quarterback.

Wide Receiver Vinny Anthony

Wisconsin wideout Vinny Anthony. | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Long speed.

The former high school track star Anthony has been a speed-oriented receiver his entire career. But it's his long speed, as opposed to his quickness or burst, that should have NFL scouts intrigued.

Anthony isn't an awfully nuanced route-runner, but his wheels allow him to take the top off defenses and get consistent separation over the top. A perfect example of his game-breaking speed? His 95-yard untouched kickoff return touchdown in Tuscaloosa.

Safety Austin Brown

Athletic profile.

Unfortunately for Wisconsin, Brown's superb athletic profile never matched his production in Madison. But it could still wind up making an NFL franchise that takes a flier on the safety very happy.

Brown has all of the physical tools general managers crave from defensive backs. He's bigger, at 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, and can be used near the box in run support. He's also strong, logging 20 reps on the bench press at Wisconsin's pro day. He's also fast, notching a 4.47 40-yard dash at the same event. Oh, and he has tremendous hops, boasting a 43'' vertical.

That athletic ability should get Brown a shot on a minicamp somewhere. He'll have to do something he didn't do at Wisconsin, however, and consistently turn that athleticism into production.

Wide Receiver Dekel Crowdus

Speed.

If Vinny Anthony is fast, Dekel Crowdus is a blur. He ran a blazing 4.36 40-yard dash at Wisconsin's pro day, also notching a 6.93 three-cone and a 4.28 shuttle.

Though he didn't log a single receiving yard in Madison, Crowdus was a big-play threat in 2024 with Hawaii, needing only 16 catches to notch 402 yards and four touchdowns (25.1 yards per reception). He doesn't have a lot of eye-catching roue-running on tape, but that kind of elite speed should get him at least a minicamp invite.

Cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean

Physicality.

If you can recall Fourqurean's two seasons in Madison, the Badgers liked him on the boundary side due to his press coverage ability. At 6-foot-1 and with an even longer wingspan, Fourqurean has the ability to jam up wideouts at the line of scrimmage and remain physical through the catch point.

That physicality also translates to tackling. He missed a tackle just about once every 78 snaps, per numbers from Pro Football Focus. He's a lanky corner, but that wingspan helps him wrap up ball-carriers in the open field.

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