The Los Angeles Chargers have had a number of positive developments through the first three weeks of training camp. As they enter preseason action on Thursday in their matchup against the Houston Texans, the hope is that the players who have started to take strides during practice will find a way to translate that to live game action.
We haven't gotten confirmation yet on if Akheem Mesidor will be among the players held out of the game, but one would imagine that the matchup will be a valuable chance for him to get reps. The Chargers are depending on their first-round selection to replace the production of Odafe Oweh, who departed to the Washington Commanders on a four-year $96 million deal this offseason.
Although Tuli Tuipulotu and Khalil Mack are the starting outside linebackers for this defense, Mesidor will have a major role to play in 2026. That's what makes the advancements he's shown in camp so encouraging.
Mesidor has routinely been among the first on the field at practice, and the coaching staff and his teammates have raved about his maturity. As the momentum around him continues to build, he's become perhaps the most thrilling riser of Chargers training camp.
The Chargers need Akheem Mesidor to produce in 2026— and he's done everything to prove that he's capable of it
There were certainly those who had their doubts about Mesidor coming into the Draft. He's already 25 years old, and there were questions about how much of his production could be attributed to his pairing with Rueben Bain Jr. on the University of Miami defensive line.
But the pedigree is undeniable. Mesidor posted 63 combined tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, and 12.5 sacks across 15 games with the Hurricanes in his final college season. He may already be close to his athletic ceiling, but he has the pure power and athleticism to translate pretty immediately to the NFL level.
That's likely the reason the Chargers felt comfortable taking an older prospect with their first-round selection. Even if the long-term upside wasn't quite there, he was ready to produce from the jump.
He had perhaps the best rep of camp against Joe Alt in one-on-one drills earlier this week, per ESPN's Kris Rhim, and he's consistently shown his chops in pass rush drills over the past two and a half weeks.
Tuipulotu also praised Mesidor's attention to detail and rapid acclimation to new defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary's pass rush scheme in his press availability yesterday.
Chargers EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu on Akheem Mesidor: "He's already in on all the details and everything like that...He's a pro."
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) August 11, 2026
"He hasn't missed a day," on Mesidor getting to the practice field first before anyone else.
Mesidor isn't a riser in the traditional sense. This is what many fans expected out of him when the Chargers selected him in the first place. There are more under-the-radar storylines to follow for Los Angeles— including Nadame Tucker, Avery Smith, and Rodney Shelley as they continue to push for spots on the 53-man roster.
But Mesidor consistently proved time and time again since he showed up in a Chargers uniform that the organization made the right decision. For a team that desperately needs additional contributors along the defensive front, that's perhaps the most promising development from training camp so far.
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