One of the two bookends on the Miami football team's terrifying defensive line, Akheem Mesidor was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers with the No. 22 pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
The native of Ottawa, Canada came to the Hurricanes in 2022 after two seasons at West Virginia, moving from defensive tackle to defensive end. The move paid off immediately to the tune of team-highs in sacks and tackles for loss, but his 2023 season was cut short by foot injuries. He moved back inside the following season before exploding into the first-round draft-pick conversation in 2025.
With Rueben Bain eating up a lot of attention, Mesidor benefited the most with 12½ sacks, tied for third in the nation and two behind another high draft pick, Texas Tech's David Bailey. He forced four fumbles over a three-week span as Miami fought to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive, then put up multiple sacks in three CFP games. Mesidor got 1½ sacks in the opener at Texas A&M, then tallied two sacks apiece against Ohio State's Julian Sayin in the Cotton Bowl and Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, in a losing effort to Indiana in the national championship game.
He may have gotten a boost from playing opposite Bain, but Mesidor has proven he is a force on his own, as two of his four five-sack seasons came without Bain on the roster.
Mesidor earned All-ACC first-team honors after leading the conference with 12½ sacks in 2025. He also led the team with 17½ tackles for loss and four forced fumbles, putting up a career-high 63 total tackles on the season. Across four College Football Playoff games, Mesidor tallied 5½ sacks, including two in the national championship game against Indiana.
"Biggest concerns from evaluators will likely be his age (25) and injury history. Once you look past that, he offers a lot to like as an edge rusher. Double-digit sacks in 2025 thanks to his quickness and bend. A bit of a tweener but has a high motor and good block shedding in run defense." - Ayrton Ostly, USA TODAY
Mesidor did not take part in drills at the NFL scouting combine. He measured 6-foot-3 and 259 pounds with 10-inch hands, 32⅛-inch arms and a 78¾-inch wingspan.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Akheem Mesidor drafted by LA Chargers. How Miami defensive end fits in