April 24, 2026
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2026 NFL Scouting Report: Akheem Mesidor

Charlie Campbell05 mins




--2026 NFL Draft Scouting Reports Lander-- Drew Allar, QB, Penn State C.J. Allen, LB, Georgia David Bailey, DE, Texas Tech Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami Caleb Banks, DT, Florida Carson Beck, QB, Miami Chris Bell, WR, Louisville Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama Chase Bisontis, G, Texas A&M Denzel Boston, WR, Washington Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia Xavier Chaplin, OT, Auburn Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington K.C. Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M Omar Cooper, WR, Indiana Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU Oscar Delp, TE, Georgia Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State Gennings Dunker, OT/G, Iowa Spencer Fano, OT, Utah Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia Earnest Greene III, OT, Georgia John Michael Gyllenborg, QB, Wyoming Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee Cashius Howell, DE, Texas A&M Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State Vega Ioane, G, Penn State Gabe Jacas, DE, Illinois Darrell Jackson Jr., DT, Florida State Domani Jackson, CB, Alabama Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State Javon Kilgore, S, South Carolina Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson Malachi Lawrence, DE, Central Florida Makai Lemon, WR, USC Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah Kyle Louis, OLB, Pittsburgh Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana Akheem Mesidor, DE, Miami Blake Miller, OT, Clemson Christian Miller, DT, Georgia Derrick Moore, DE, Michigan Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU L.T. Overton, DT, Alabama T.J. Parker, DE, Clemson Harold Perkins, OLB, LSU Emmanuel Pregnon, G, Oregon Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama Kamari Ramsey, S, USC Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State Tony Rojas, LB, Penn State Sam Roush, TE, Stanford Joe Royer, TE, Cincinnati Keylan Rutledge, G, Georgia Tech Keon Sabb, S, Alabama Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State Jake Slaughter, C, Florida Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon R. Mason Thomas, DE/OLB, Oklahoma Michael Trigg, TE, Baylor Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State Mateo Uiagalelei, DE, Oregon Mike Washington, RB, Arkansas Antonio Williams, WR, Clemson Peter Woods, DT, Clemson Isaiah World, OT, Oregon Zion Young, DE, Missouri

  • Akheem Mesidor, 6-3/259
  • Defensive End
  • Miami

Akheem Mesidor Scouting Report

By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

  • Natural feel as a pass rusher
  • Quick off the ball
  • Can beat blockers with speed or power
  • Can bend
  • Can drop low around the corner
  • Burst to close
  • Plays hard
  • Good motor
  • Ready to compete immediately

Weaknesses:

  • Old for a rookie, 25 years old, 6 seasons of college football
  • Short
  • Lacks length
  • Durability
  • Had injury isseus in college

Prospect Summary:

Mesidor started out his career at West Virginia and had two solid seasons with the Mountaineers, totaling 9.5 sacks as an underclassman. In 2022, Mesidor made his debut with the Hurricanes and had a strong showing with seven sacks and 10.5 tackles for a loss. The 2023 season was lost to torn ligaments in both of his feet. Mesidor did not look the same in 2024, coming off the injury with 5.5 sacks and 32 tackles, but in his final season, he put it all together. Mesidor was a dangerous quarterback hunter and helped Miami reach the National Championship game, forming an excellent tandem with Rueben Bain Jr. In 2025, Mesidor totaled 46 tackles with 12.5 sacks in his final season.

In the pass rush, Mesidor is a dangerous edge rusher who shows a burst off the ball and real speed on the edge. He can fire upfield and shows an ability to bend and get underneath edge protectors to gain leverage moving upfield. Mesidor is very good at counters and has a repertoire of moves to attack tackles. Mesidor can with power as well as speed, with Mesidor showing an ability to bull rush tackles and go through them with speed and power. Mesidor lacks length, so he gets in trouble when tackles get into his chest. As a pro, Mesidor could be a solid and reliable contributor as a starting edge rusher.

As a run defender, Mesidor has some strength to set the edge, and he is not limited to being a designated pass rusher. He battles and shows the ability to handle the c-gap on some plays. However, Mesidor lacks the length, height, and weight to battle NFL offensive tackles. Hence, he could be better off being rotated a fair amount in base, as he may not have the ability to handle much larger blockers for four quarters.

In the 2026 NFL Draft, Mesidor is on the bubble between the first and second rounds. Multiple team sources say they graded Mesidor in the second round, but some think he could sneak into the first round. Check out my latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft to see where Mesidor is being projected.

Prospect Comparison:

YaYa Diaby. In terms of style of play, Mesidor reminds me of Diaby.


--2026 NFL Draft Scouting Reports Lander-- Drew Allar, QB, Penn State C.J. Allen, LB, Georgia David Bailey, DE, Texas Tech Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami Caleb Banks, DT, Florida Carson Beck, QB, Miami Chris Bell, WR, Louisville Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama Chase Bisontis, G, Texas A&M Denzel Boston, WR, Washington Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia Xavier Chaplin, OT, Auburn Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington K.C. Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M Omar Cooper, WR, Indiana Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU Oscar Delp, TE, Georgia Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State Gennings Dunker, OT/G, Iowa Spencer Fano, OT, Utah Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia Earnest Greene III, OT, Georgia John Michael Gyllenborg, QB, Wyoming Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee Cashius Howell, DE, Texas A&M Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State Vega Ioane, G, Penn State Gabe Jacas, DE, Illinois Darrell Jackson Jr., DT, Florida State Domani Jackson, CB, Alabama Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State Javon Kilgore, S, South Carolina Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson Malachi Lawrence, DE, Central Florida Makai Lemon, WR, USC Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah Kyle Louis, OLB, Pittsburgh Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana Akheem Mesidor, DE, Miami Blake Miller, OT, Clemson Christian Miller, DT, Georgia Derrick Moore, DE, Michigan Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU L.T. Overton, DT, Alabama T.J. Parker, DE, Clemson Harold Perkins, OLB, LSU Emmanuel Pregnon, G, Oregon Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama Kamari Ramsey, S, USC Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State Tony Rojas, LB, Penn State Sam Roush, TE, Stanford Joe Royer, TE, Cincinnati Keylan Rutledge, G, Georgia Tech Keon Sabb, S, Alabama Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State Jake Slaughter, C, Florida Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon R. Mason Thomas, DE/OLB, Oklahoma Michael Trigg, TE, Baylor Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State Mateo Uiagalelei, DE, Oregon Mike Washington, RB, Arkansas Antonio Williams, WR, Clemson Peter Woods, DT, Clemson Isaiah World, OT, Oregon Zion Young, DE, Missouri



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