As the draft has approached, mock draft circles have gotten more and more creative with the prospects they've slated for different teams. For the Los Angeles Chargers, no prospect has been more polarizing than pass-rusher Akheem Mesidor out of Miami.
By most accounts, Mesidor is a first-round talent. He finished 2025 with 12.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss across 15 games But factors such as his age (he's already 25 years old) and questions about how much of his production can be credited to his partnership with Ruebn Bain Jr. will limit him from being an upper-echelon selection in the Draft.
For what it's worth, CBS Sports had Mesidor as Los Angeles' pick in their "worst mock draft ever".
For the Chargers, however, who need a pass-rusher that can quickly step up and take on a rotational role next to Tuli Tuipulotu and Khalil Mack, Mesidor does make sense on some level. Under the condition he's able to slot inside when needed, it's far from the worst pick they could make.
Akheem Mesidor has the versatile skill-set the Chargers need in spite of his age
In Bruce Feldman's recent round-up of draft quotes and intel for The Athletic, he included a lengthy section on Bain. While some scouts and executives feel that his age will be a limiting factor, there are others who believe in his versatility:
“I think he could be a crazy interior rusher. He can stop the run on the edge and can collapse the pocket. He could be 290 pounds, easy. He’s gonna be big, and he can move. He changed his body, got cut up — he’s there.” Anonymous NFL DL Coach, quoted by The Athletic
While there's questions about his frame and his length as a run defender on the edge, Mesidor has the tool-set to be a dominant body no matter where he's placed along the defensive line. Last season, the Chargers' trio of pass-rusher was successful because Jesse Minter found a way to have their varied skill-sets complement each other on a down-to-down basis.
If Mesidor is able to slot inside at the NFL level, it would grant him the ability to play alongside Mack and Tuipulotu as often as the Chargers wish. He could see a large snap share almost immediately, alleviating some of the concerns surrounding his age and continued development.
As a pure pass rusher, Mesidor leaves some physical traits to be desired. But combined with Los Angeles' need for another run-stopper on the interior of their defensive line, Mesidor could be an intriguing fit in the first round.
There's arguments to be made that pure pass rushers such as T.J. Parker and Malachi Lawrence would represent surer paths to success at the NFL level. If a player like Lawrence could be grabbed in the second round, he certainly surpasses Mesidor in terms of value.
But Mesidor has the versatile skill-set the Chargers need, and he's someone they should at least have their eye on as the clock ticks down on Thursday night.
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