After breakout year, Hurricanes’ Akheem Mesidor taken No. 22 in NFL draft
Akheem Mesidor’s path to the NFL and a meteoric rise to first-round pick was a long and winding one.
Sparsely recruited out of Canada despite his efforts to get his name out there. Leaving his native Ottawa for high school in Florida for a better chance to get noticed. Six years of college at two schools, including one year lost to injury and a couple playing out of position for the betterment of his team.
And finally, the breakout campaign in his final season with the Miami Hurricanes that got everyone’s attention and has Mesidor in this position.
The Los Angeles Chargers selected Mesidor with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday. With fellow defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr., his teammate at Miami for three years, also selected in the first round (No. 15 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), it marks the first time that the Hurricanes had multiple defensive linemen selected in the first round of the same draft since 2021 (Jaelan Phillips No. 18 to the Dolphins and Gregory Rousseau No. 30 to the Bills).
Mesidor’s breakout final season at Miami included 17.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, 67 quarterback pressures and four forced fumbles. It was a crescendo on a career that saw Mesidor have to play the long game to fully tap into his potential.
He was just a three-star prospect when he wrapped up his prep career at Clearwater International Academy in the Tampa area. He signed at West Virginia, where he put together two strong seasons (70 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks) before transferring to Miami.
He then went through his share of ups and downs. A great 2022 season (10.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, four pass breakups in 11 games), an injury-filled 2023 season, and then an out-of-position 2024 season when he played inside at defensive tackle yet still managing nine tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.
And then, finally, putting everything together in 2025.
And now, a chance to prove his worth in the NFL.
“Back to work,” Mesidor said. “The work never stops. I’ll still be working my butt off after my name gets called, working my butt off even more until I earn the right to play in the league.”
What they’re saying
-NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein describes Mesidor as “an instinctive, high-effort edge rusher with a fluid rush style and a deep toolbox.”
“He bursts upfield and can shrink the corner while punishing oversetting tackles with inside counters. He strings moves together with effortless mid-rush adjustments, utilizing harmonious hands and feet to carve efficient tracks into the pocket. He’s a problem for guards when reduced inside, too. His urgency shows up in run defense, where he uses play strength and short-area quickness to disrupt blocking schemes and stay around the football. He won’t be as long as most edge-setters and his anchor at the point is just average. The talent and motor are obvious, but his age and injury history could push some teams to discount his grade below what the tape shows.”
-ESPN’s Field Yates has Mesidor as his No. 20 overall draft prospect. “His impressive first-step quickness gave offensive tackles fits, but he also destroyed interior offensive linemen when he reduced down inside as a rusher. His pressure percentage when aligned as a defensive tackle was an astonishing 23.9%. He will turn 25 in early April, so the possibility of Mesidor being taken lower than this overall rating is definitely in play. But he’s a relentless rusher who could fit in most every scheme.”
-The Athletic’s Dane Brugler describes Mesidor as “a disruptive force and likely three-down starter, despite age and injury concerns.”
“After several years of flash plays, Mesidor put it all together as a super senior and made significant strides with his pass-rush instincts. Along with his urgent upfield quickness, he has aggressive, well-timed hands and a deep bag of rush moves, which allows him to vary his attack and create challenging angles for blockers. He is a physical run defender with adequate play strength, although he can get stuck on blocks and needs to continue maturing his escape maneuvers.”
-CBS Sports had Mesidor ranked as the draft’s No. 30 overall prospect, citing his “excellent bend and a relentless motor, playing with refined technique as a pass rusher.”
“He uses his hands and hips well to finish, pairs that with an explosive first step and ranked among the most disruptive players in the country with the highest pass-rush win rate. Mesidor plays with nonstop energy and creates disruption in space. He projects as an NFL-ready pass rusher who can contribute immediately.”
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