Vikings Bring an Andrew Van Ginkel Clone into the Lab
A basic update about the Vikings bringing in a young edge rusher isn’t much reason to take notice. Par for the course this time of the year; after all, the 2026 NFL Draft is mere weeks away.
Does the perspective change, though, when the edge rusher is someone who offers striking similarities to Andrew Van Ginkel?
Ryan Fowler offers the word: “Source: Wisconsin EDGE Mason Reiger has a 30 visit scheduled with the Minnesota Vikings. 6’5”, 250 lbs pass-rusher was named the Defensive MVP of the Shrine game after recording three sacks & a FF. Also had a private workout with New Orleans.”
In Mason Reiger, The Vikings Bring in a Van Ginkel Clone
Consider a side-by-side comparison to set the table:
| Andrew Van Ginkel | Mason Reiger |
| College: Wisconsin | College: Wisconsin |
| Position: Edge Rusher | Position: Edge Rusher |
| Size: 6’4″ and 241 Pounds | Size: 6’5″ and 250 Pounds |
| Draft: 5th Round | Draft: TBD but 5th Possible |
Obviously, the Van Ginkel comparison is unfair. The veteran edge rusher has turned into a second-team All Pro. After Justin Jefferson, Van Ginkel is under consideration as the Vikings’ best player. Nobody on the defense is better, meaning he’s competing with Christian Darrisaw (who is doing a nice job with his recovery) for the silver medal.
Still, there’s an easy-to-see connection even as the comparison is quite lofty.
The pair were edge rushers for Wisconsin. Even more compelling is that they possess similar size, offering a height and weight that’s not too far off. What would fully solidify the similarities would be seeing Reiger go in the 5th, the round where Andrew Van Ginkel got drafted once upon a time.
In fact, Van Ginkel went in the 5th for a team with Brian Flores as the head coach. Now a defensive coordinator, Flores is looking to continue building the edge rusher position, possibly by adding Reiger.
Reiger is a tremendous athlete, coming in with a sensational 9.53 RAS Score. Put differently, there’s some evidence to suggest that Reiger is a better athlete than 95% of the players at his position. Van Ginkel, it’s worth noting, is a sensational athlete, too.
Last season, Reiger had a total of 33 tackles while seeing 5 sacks and 6 tackles for loss tossed onto the stat sheet. PFF handed out a very healthy 82.4 grade.
Journeying to Minnesota would mean slotting into a depth role. At best, he would be the EDGE4 (unless that Jonathan Greenard trade happened). That’s a good thing, folks. The kid wouldn’t need to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. Playing rotational snaps is a good assignment for a Day 3 edge rusher.
Matt Daniels would likely carve out some work for the rookie. Possessing nice size alongside some top-tier athleticism means gaining attention from a special teams coordinator. As a d-lineman, Reiger should be a capable tackler, giving him an obvious appeal for punt and kickoff coverage.
Minnesota is going into the draft with nine selections. The No. 18 pick is generating most of the headlines. Simply note that the team also has No. 49 (2nd), No. 82 (3rd), No. 97 (3rd), No. 163 (5th), No. 196 (6th), No. 234 (7th), No. 235 (7th), and No. 244 (7th). The sweet spot for Mason Reiger could be that 5th-Round selection.
The 2026 NFL Draft takes place from Thursday, April 23d until Saturday, April 25th. Every team wants (needs) to do well, but the Vikings have a unique sense of urgency given the recent struggles in this facet of football.
A hearty helping of young, cost-controlled talent would feel like shade and a cold bottle of water for a Vikings roster that was been journeying through an arid desert for several years.
