The Los Angeles Chargers' defense will see some changes in 2026.
Even though Chris O'Leary had extensive experience under Jesse Minter, making him the best candidate to continue the dominance the team found during Minter's tenure, he'll certainly be looking to implement his own nuances and schematic approaches in 2026.
The Chargers' addition of Akheem Mesidor, therefore, was entirely necessary. Last year, Los Angeles' pass rush reached its peak when they had their full trio of Tuli Tuipulotu, Khalil Mack, and Odafe Oweh active. This is because Minter was able to scheme up complex pressures and stunts, frequently using all three pass rushers to gain an advantage against opposing offensive lines.
One of O'Leary's calling cards at Western Michigan were the varied pressures he implemented among his front seven, blitzing at a daring rate in a typically risk-averse MAC conference. Although there are questions about Mesidor's athleticism, he has the physical maturity and the refinement to make an immediate impact at the NFL level.
If O'Leary leans into the blitz in his first season as Chargers defensive coordinator, it could lay a path for Mesidor to put up some major numbers as a rookie.
Akheem Mesidor could be poised for a major rookie campaign with the Chargers
As creative as Minter got with his zone coverages and his ability to free up pass-rushing lanes, he was relatively averse to the blitz. The Chargers blitzed just 18.9% of the time in 2025, per Sharp Football Analysis, which was the fourth-lowest rate in the NFL. It was a strategy that worked, however.
Los Angeles amassed 45 sacks over the course of 2025, tying them for 10th in the league in that category.
But if O'Leary plans to up that number in 2026, Mesidor's ability to line up inside and generate pressure from the interior could prove to be invaluable. Mesidor played just 10 snaps lined up as a defensive tackle in 2025, but he played 164 snaps on the interior in 2024. He has the strength and the force at the point of contact to be disruptive in that alignment, and that's something O'Leary can certainly leverage as he attempts to disrupt opponents' blocking schemes.
Even if Mesidor doesn't line up inside as frequently as one might expect, there's still room for him to do some major damage on the outside. If O'Leary is blitzing more frequently, both Mack and Tuipulotu will need more consistent breaks. Mesidor will get the first shot at stepping in on the edge for either of those players.
Of course, pass-rushers with a higher upside like David Bailey and Malachi Lawrence will garner most of the attention in 2026. But there's no pass-rusher with a more league-ready skill-set than Mesidor in this class, and O'Leary's defensive structure could quickly grant Mesidor a leg up on his competition.
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