With the 2026 NFL Draft less than two weeks away, it is prime mock draft season.
Whether your team has a first-round pick or not, there’s always a chance they could trade into the first night and make it interesting.
Every year, there are players who are first-rounders without a doubt, and then there are some who could get picked in multiple different spots around the draft. Where will Miami’s Akheem Mesidor land?
PFSN Mocks Cowboys’ Fan Favorite Target Akheem Mesidor to Buccaneers
Pro Football Sports Network has a cool tool, the Mock Draft Simulator, that allows fans to create their own mock drafts ahead of draft night in Pittsburgh.
While there are dozens and dozens of mock drafts circulating, picked by the analysts and experts of the game, PFSN’s simulator allows fans an easy way to create their own.
Ahead of the 2026 draft, one of the Dallas Cowboys’ fans’ favorite players to mock to their team has been Miami’s defensive end, Mesidor, with nearly 10% fans wanting him in Dallas.
Mesidor played six seasons in college, starting with West Virginia for two years before playing for four seasons with the Hurricanes. The 6-foot-2, 272-pounder collected 16.5 sacks and 25 tackles for loss across 34 games in his first three years of college.
He got injured in 2023 and played just three games, which earned him another two years of eligibility.
After another productive season in 2024, Mesidor took off last year. The Hurricane led the ACC with 12.5 sacks and collected an astounding 17.5 tackles for loss.
He was a key part of the front four of a Miami defense that played for the national championship last season.
Now he’s projected to be a first-round draft pick, and Cowboys fans are hoping he will fall into their hands at No. 20 overall.
However, in Reese Decker’s latest PFSN mock draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers spoil that party by nabbing him at No. 15.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and general manager Jason Licht have consistently prioritized a specific player profile, and Akheem Mesidor aligns with it seamlessly. He demonstrates the maturity, discipline, and approach of a seasoned professional.
“Mesidor is a refined pass rusher capable of playing from both the interior and the edge. He brings a physical, disruptive presence and is coming off a 12.5-sack season on a team that competed for a National Championship.
“That combination of production and high-level experience makes him a strong fit for an organization focused on maximizing its current championship window and for a head coach who needs to win now.”
Mesidor’s 65 career college games bring plenty of experience to the NFL, and he’s shown he can perform on the biggest stage.
The Buccaneers’ defense finished No. 19 in the NFL last year in PFSN’s Defense Impact rankings, which was their worst performance since 2018.
Mesidor, paired with Vita Vea on Tampa Bay’s front four, would give opposing offensive lines a lot to deal with.
Decker still has the Cowboys targeting the edge at No. 20 in his mock, but drafting Auburn’s Keldric Faulk with Mesidor off the board.
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The need for help at the position is evident in Dallas after finishing as the worst defense in the NFL, according to PFSN’s Defense Impact, for the first time in the century. It was the first time the Cowboys finished with a D or worse grade in that department in five years.
Dallas moved on from Micah Parsons last season, and now it needs to start rebuilding on that side of the ball. Even if Mesidor isn’t still available at pick No. 20, expect the Cowboys to draft up front, and don’t be surprised if they trade up to get a player they’re eyeing.
