Josh Edwards of CBS Sports included Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor in his "Overrated, underrated, overdrafted, underdrafted: Sorting 2026 NFL Draft prospects into the right buckets." Edwards projects Mesidor as overdrafted primarily due to being 25 years old.
Mesidor produced by far the best season of his collegiate career with 68 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks and four forced fumbles to help lead Miami to the National Championship Game. Mesidor has been healthy during the last two seasons after missing 2023 with a foot injury.
Five of the six CBS Sports 2026 NFL Mock Drafts project Mesidor to be selected in the first round, anywhere from 12th through 31st. Among the prognosticators is former NFL offensive tackle Blake Brockermeyer, father of Miami center James Brockermeyer.
While some analysts will use Mesidor's age against him, he is an NFL-ready player who can immediately contribute. CBS Sports noted that Mesidor "ranked among the most disruptive players in the country with the highest pass-rush win rate."
"Days ago, Mesidor turned 25-years-old; a problem for some teams, but not all. A team seeking instant impact performers with playoff ambitions has more incentive to take him. The one-time West Virginia transfer did not break out until his sixth year of college football and is unlikely to have a much higher ceiling. Mesidor is of a similar age to players who signed their second contracts in March. Again, it is not to say he is a bad player, but that is not the profile of a player teams often take in the first round. "Josh Edwards, CBS Sports
All five projections for Mesidor are to teams that project to compete for 2026 NFL Playoff spots. Edwards is the only one of the six CBS NFL Draft analysts who does not project Mesidor to be selected in the 2026 first round.
CBS Sports ranks Mesidor as the fourth-best edge rusher in the 2026 NFL Draft, behind teammate Rueben Bain, Arvell Reese of Ohio State and David Bailey of Texas Tech. Bain and Mesidor wreaked havoc against Ohio State, while the Miami offensive line held Reese to seven tackles but no TFLs or sacks.
In four College Football Playoff games, Mesidor finished with 17 tackles, 5.5 TFLs and 5.5 sacks. Mesidor was dominant against four of the best teams in college football in 2025. The next step for Mesidor will be translating the CFP dominance in the NFL.
At the very least, Mesidor projects as a steady, reliable performer who is equally adept as a pass rusher and run stopper. Mesidor received a 92.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, third among 852 qualified edge rushers, his 91.7 pass rush grade was 13th and his run defense grade of 90.5 finished third nationally.
In addition to the TFL and sack totals, Mesidor recorded 55 pressures, 42 hurries and four quarterback hits. The numbers Mesidor produced during the 2025 season led a dominant Miami defense with Bain and should translate well in the NFL.