The dust has now settled, and we can process the Los Angeles Chargers' selection of Akheem Mesidor at 22nd overall with the full breadth of analysis it deserves.
On one hand, it was more than a worthy selection. Mesidor is the type of pro-ready piece that can immediately make a difference along a contending team's defensive line, and his alignment versatility ensures he'll see plenty of snaps during his first season in Los Angeles.
On the other, the Chargers were forced to sacrifice one need in order to fill another. Heading into Day 2, they still need to grab a starting-caliber guard to, at the very least, compete with Trevor Penning for duties on the left side of the line.
As it stands, they aren't on the board again until the 55th overall selection.
With Olaivavega Ioane and Keylan Rutledge already off the board, Los Angeles may have left themselves open to a second-round run on the other top guards in this class.
The Chargers must catch a break on Day 2 after Akheem Mesidor selection
For the Chargers, their relative inactivity in free agency has only one potential saving grace. If they're able to draft a guard who can immediately step in and provide pro-caliber play, it would go a long way towards erasing the anger of fans who felt they should've targeted some of the top guards on the market when they were available.
While Ioane was identified early as their best option, it's been a long time since he seemed like a real possibility at 22. It was also reasonable to believe that, given their lack of Day 3 draft capital, Los Angeles would be willing to trade back into the early second, where drafting one of the class's top guards would have made more sense.
Chase Bisontis and Emmanuel Pregnon are both still on the board, thankfully. But both were projected as potential first-round risers, and it would not be surprising at all if they were to go in the early second. The Chargers, therefore, could be left selecting from the third tier of guards in this draft, which will likely include pieces such as Gennings Dunker and Jalen Farmer.
Both have their upsides, but there's more and more variance the further you fall down the ladder at any position in the draft.
If they have faith in Penning, so be it. But if it doesn't work out, we can look back to the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft as a pivotal moment for the Chargers.
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