The Chargers snag a dynamic Hurricanes edge rusher. Can Akheem Mesidor elevate their pass rush and prove doubters wrong?
In the 1st Round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Chargers selected edge rusher Akheem Mesidor out of the University of Miami with the 22nd overall pick. That means that, despite a wild and unpredictable 1st Round, the team decided against trading down.
Mesidor had 12.5 sacks, 63 tackles and 17.5 tackles for loss in 15 games for the Miami Hurricanes last year. He was a key cog on a defense that brought Miami all the way to the College Football National Championship Game, which they then lost to the Indiana Hoosiers.
This pick is, on the high end, a nearly one-for-one replacement for Odafe Oweh. Mesidor has proven himself to be an instinctive, although not overpowering, pass rusher. At 25 years old, and with a couple of dings in his injury history, there are questions about how high his ceiling actually could be.
Mesidor was a late bloomer, totaling double-digits sacks for the first time in his sixth college season under the tutelage of former Miami Dolphins pass rusher Jason Taylor. That might lead you to think that his bust potential is high, but Akheem's motor, technique, quickness and "violent hands" all but guarantee a high floor for his NFL career with good health luck.
Mesidor also addresses a long-term need for the Chargers to figure out what their pass rush looks like once Khalil Mack is no longer a part of it. Wherever it goes, it will be tethered to Mesidor's development over the next few years.
I don't mind the pick by itself, but it's just one more point that proves the patience of the Chargers front office this offseason. They didn't want to overspend on a free agent. They didn't even want to put the franchise tag on Odafe Oweh. And, yet, the team still has nearly $50M in cap space heading into the season and other weaknesses on the roster.
Using this 1st Round pick to replace a player that you could've had on your roster feels like the type of move you make if you're absolutely, 100% sure that your job is safe for a good long time. These are not decisions that are factoring in urgency at all, despite Justin Herbert's ballooning contract.
We'll see how urgent Joe Hortiz, Jim Harbaugh and the rest of the Los Angeles Chargers coaching staff and front office are in the 2nd and 3rd Rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft tomorrow night.