Chargers bolster pass rush drafting Akheem Mesidor

One of the knocks on Mesidor is his age, as he played six years of college football—two at West Virginia and four at Miami—but he has a high motor and is ready to contribute.

He is over folks talking about him being 25 years old.

“I’ve been doubted my whole life,” Mesidor explained. “This nothing. None of this is going to come new to me. I'm ready to come in, earn the respect of my teammates and my coaches and compete the age stuff. Any of the negativity that people push into the media about me is all out the window. It does not phase me. I'm here to play football.”

Mesidor made a leap from year five to six in terms of production. He went from 5.5 sacks and 9 tackles for loss to 12.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss.

“Somebody ready to play right now,” Mesidor said. “I’m mature of the football IQ, and then when on the field, I got the motor, the relentless effort and the athletic ability to rush the passer and set an edge. So I'm ready. I'm coming in ready to play.”

That three-pass-rusher combo has helped the Chargers feature a top-10 defense the last two seasons. They are in a division with Patrick Mahomes, Bo Nix, and now Fernando Mendoza, so they obviously can never have too many pass rushers.

“I am ready to get after those older guys,” Mesidor said. I am ready to get after Mendoza again.”

Mesidor is already used to the 1-2 combination because he and Rueben Bain, who was selected 15th overall by Tampa Bay, proved to be a big reason why Miami made it to the National Championship.

The Chargers needed a replacement for Oweh, and it seems like they have found one in Mesidor. His addition improves the pass rush, and he can ultimately take the mantle from Mack.

Now the Chargers drafted Kyle Kennard from South Carolina last year in the fourth round. The team will be hoping he can have a Justin Eboigbe-style jump from rookie year to second year. Eboigbe rarely saw the field his first season and ended up with six sacks in his second, becoming a regular in the defensive line rotation.

The Miami product has had surgery on both of his feet for torn ligaments, as well as shoulder surgery, but only missed one game due to injury in 2025.

The Mesidor selection was what the Chargers' defense needed. He is a player with a high motor that will help add the kind of pressure this defense has been used to since the arrival of Jim Harbaugh.

O’Leary is a young defensive coordinator, so to give him Mesidor, Tuipulotu, and Mack is truly a gift.