Chargers' Akheem Mesidor selection only becomes more justified by the day

Heading into the 2026 NFL Draft Class, the Los Angeles Chargers had two primary needs— an edge rusher and a starting-caliber guard.

Once Olaivavega Ioane came off the board, their next choice was clear. With the departure of Odafe Oweh to the Washington Commanders on a four-year, $96 million deal, they needed to grab an outside linebacker who could at least partially replicate what Oweh provided in rotation with Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu in 2025.

They ultimately selected Akheem Mesidor at 22nd overall, but not everyone across the league was sold on the selection. Mesidor has already turned 25, and there were many who were unsure of how much of his college production was a result of his pairing with Rueben Bain Jr. at the University of Miami.

But the Chargers were comfortable selecting Mesidor in that range, even at his age, because of their need for a league-ready pass rusher. Perhaps he's already approaching (or has even arrived at) his athletic ceiling, but his work ethic and pure speed and power have been on full display through training camp.

Los Angeles needed an immediate contributor, and Mesidor is looking more and more like one with each passing day.

Akheem Mesidor is exactly what the Chargers defense needs in 2026

In Kris Rhim's notes on Day 4 of training camp, he remarked on how Mesidor has stood out both in individual and team drills. While he doesn't necessarily have the size that someone like Tuipulotu does to overpower his man at the line of scrimmage, he has the pure speed and bend to work his way into the backfield nonetheless.

But it's been his work ethic that has been the most impressive during his short Chargers tenure. Both Mack and Tuipulotu have commented on how impressive Mesidor's focus has been as he attempts to integrate into Chris O'Leary's defensive structure. For example, he was one of the first players on the field yesterday, and he's been seen consistently giving high effort in the pass rusher drills.

As an older prospect, you have to possess an elite pedigree to maintain your status as a first-round selection. Mesidor certainly has that, having posted 63 combined tackles, 12.5 sacks, and 17.5 tackles for loss in his final college season.

But the Chargers don't need him to produce at that level as a rookie. They don't even need him to match the 7.5 sacks that Oweh put up last season across 12 games in Los Angeles.

They need him to have a nuanced understanding of O'Leary's pass-rush scheme in order to properly complement Tuipulotu and Mack. Under Jesse Minter, that's what Oweh's primary value was. His pure power and every-down availability allowed the Chargers to mix and match their outside linebackers, keeping all three pieces on the field in certain situations and flexing Tuipulotu to the inside when necessary. Mesidor has both the athletic skill set and the alignment versatility to provide that as a rookie.

In drafting an older prospect, the Chargers knew exactly what gamble they were taking. They needed a defender who could show maturity and a willingness to take the right steps upon his arrival. They needed someone, in short, who could make an immediate impact alongside their two primary edge rushers.

As long as Mesidor can be that, Los Angeles' first-round selection will be a success.

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