Going into the 2025 college football season, the Miami Hurricanes’ edge rusher getting the most buzz for the 2026 NFL Draft was far and away Rueben Bain Jr. Since then, however, another long-time contributor has risen up the ranks as a potential early-round pick: Akheem Mesidor. He ended the year with 10.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for a loss.
Previously a standout performer at West Virginia, Mesidor is a sixth-year prospect with an injury redshirt and a COVID year to his name. Though he’s a bit older, he uses that experience to his advantage; he’s a much stronger and more refined technician than most edge rushers in this year’s class.
These are five teams that make sense as the best landing spots for Miami’s standout edge rusher, ranked in order of how often he gets picked by each team in the PFSN NFL Mock Draft Simulator.
Miami Dolphins
It’s worth noting at the outset that Mesidor is primarily viewed as a Day 2 prospect for this year’s draft. His current ADP as of this writing is 94.2, which checks out to a late third-round pick, and the PFSN Consensus Big Board has him ranked No. 66 overall. The odds are strong that whichever team takes him will be doing so in the second or third round.
The Miami Dolphins project as a strong landing spot, and it’s right in the backyard of his college team. Edge rusher projects as a big need for the Dolphins after trading Jaelan Phillips to Philadelphia at the trade deadline. Bradley Chubb also turns 30 before the start of next season. Mesidor would be a great initial depth with the ability to crack the starting lineup in 2027.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears have spent a lot of money on their defensive line, and it isn’t working out well for them at all. Their two big-money free agent signings this offseason, Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo, combined for just 2.5 sacks in 2025. Montez Sweat is a quality starter, but he is a notch below the bona fide EDGE1 salary he’s currently getting.
There’s some upside in the wings with young players Austin Booker and Shemar Turner, but the Bears need more investment off the edge. Mesidor’s 280-pound frame and pro-ready run defense abilities make him a great fit in Dennis Allen’s system, and he has the juice and pass-rushing arsenal to work his way onto the field in passing downs, as well.
Dallas Cowboys
It should hardly come as a surprise after they traded Micah Parsons to Green Bay right before the start of the year, but the Dallas Cowboys struggled to rush the passer in 2025. Jadeveon Clowney was a nice one-year rental for them, but overall, they finished with the worst Defense Impact score of any team in the NFL this season.
Both Clowney and Dante Fowler Jr. are slated to hit free agency. With the Cowboys having nearly -$40 million in cap space and George Pickens still needing an extension, the two veteran edge rushers are likely to land elsewhere. Mesidor would give Dallas a long-term option for their defensive line to complement Donovan Ezeiruaku’s speed-first playing style.
Seattle Seahawks
Unlike the previous three teams on this list, the Seattle Seahawks already have a top-notch defense. They ranked third in Defense Impact in the 2025 regular season, and their well-rounded group of pass rushers saw them tie for seventh in the NFL in sacks this season. That said, Boye Mafe is a free agent this offseason, DeMarcus Lawrence is more of a short-term starting option, and Derick Hall regressed in Year 3 of his career.
MORE: 2026 NFL Draft: PFSN’s Consensus Top 10 Offensive Tackles Include Caleb Lomu, Spencer Fano
Seattle will still have a deep group of edge rushers for 2026; taking someone like Mesidor early in the 2026 NFL Draft is just insurance for the future. His more power-based game would work well alongside Hall, and his presence along the Seahawks’ defensive line would be able to keep the likes of Lawrence and Uchenna Nwosu fresh.
San Francisco 49ers
Though the San Francisco 49ers still had a tremendous season, it’s clear that their defensive line needs some more depth, especially coming off the edge. Both Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams suffered season-ending injuries, and that significantly hurt their pass rush. Of their depth options, both Clelin Ferrell and Yetur Gross-Matos are slated to hit free agency.
That still leaves Bryce Huff and Keion White as depth options for the 49ers, but the latter graded a harrowing 100th out of 123 qualified edge rushers in EDGE Impact. In particular, Mesidor and Huff’s styles would play off each other well, giving San Francisco different flavors of pass rush to work with coming off their bench.
Akheem Mesidor’s Scouting Report
Mesidor will be a 25-year-old rookie, and he has an injury history to note, but if his medicals check out, he projects as an immediate-impact NFL player with a tantalizing skill set.
At around 6’2 1/2″ and 273 pounds, he’s a streamlined multi-alignment rusher with experience at 3-tech, 5-tech, and as far outside as 7-tech as a standup rusher. He’s quick and explosive, with a lean and compact power profile, and he knows how to realign his hips to maximize force output and drive at contact.
In the passing game, he can be weaponized on stunts, or win 1-on-1 with a variety of swims, power rushes, and counters, and in the run game, he’s strong and well-leveraged at the point, and instinctive with his gap alignment.
Right away, Mesidor can bolster an NFL team’s rotation considerably, and he has the tools and temperament to potentially be an impact starter in his relatively short prime window.
