The Los Angeles Chargers made Akheem Mesidor the third former member of the Miami Hurricanes selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, choosing him with the 22nd overall pick.
Mesidor was expected to go somewhere in the first round and he deserved it. There will be some detractors because the second-team All-American is 25 years old, but the rest of the AFC West is about to learn that age is nothing but a number.
Ottawa, ON native Akheem Mesidor goes to the LA Chargers at #22! 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/nEpIUJBIWs
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 24, 2026
The analysts on the NFL Network were quick to rave about the Chargers pick. Joel Klatt described Mesidor as a "werewolf" and lead analyst Daniel Jeremiah went into greater detail about what he can do on the field.
"You see the bend and close at the top of his rush, it's outstanding. The interior rush? They'll use him in this capacity with the Chargers. He whipped up on guards. A lot of his production came from inside."
Akheem Mesidor is ready to terrorize quarterbacks in the AFC West
The Chargers are in win-now.mode and bringing in a mature player like Mesidor fits the profile of the organization. They needed more from the pass rush, and he's going to bring that to them right away. He's also a good fit for Jim Harbaugh, who has a style of coaching that is a good match for a player with more seasoning.
Chargers GM Joe Hortiz mentioned to the media that he felt Mesidor's maturity during their pre-draft interviews with him and his age and readiness for professional football was something that appealed to them.
Mesidor has had some injuries, specifically a foot injury that almost robbed him of the entire 2023 season. He's also played through some things and he's incredibly tough. Again, it's the sort of toughness that Harbaugh likes, and he'll come to Los Angeles after spending three years under Mario Cristobal, who places a premium on mental and physical toughness.
More than anything, Mesidor has been productive. He was a two-time All-Big 12 performer early in his career when he was with West Virginia and an All-ACC performer with the Hurricanes. He has always gotten the job done when he is on the field and that won't change in Los Angeles.
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