Height: 6030
Weight: 265
Year: Sixth-year senior
Pro Comparison: Carl Lawson

2026 NFL Combine Results

Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami

• Hand Size: 10″
• Arm Length: 32 1/8″
• 40-Yard Dash: N/A
• Vertical Leap: N/A
• Broad Jump: N/A
• 20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
• 3-Cone: N/A

Pros of Akheem Mesidor

• Very good pass rush move set: Alongside Rueben Bain and R Mason Thomas, Mesidor has the best “bag” of pass rush moves he can access and throw at opposing tackles. Swipes, arm-overs, cross chops, club-rips, bull rushes, push-pulls, and swims are all on the table. He sequences his moves seamlessly, and when his initial rush stalls, he’s quick to counter and string moves together without a hitch. He’s one of the most technically-refined pass rushers I have scouted.
• Very good quickness: Mesidor has springs attached to his feet to shoot upfield and threaten offensive tackles, and he pairs it with superb snap timing to get off the ball in a hurry and cleanly. When he has a runway, Mesidor can turn that into speed-to-power and collapse the pocket well.
• Very good competitive toughness: Mesidor isn’t the strongest player in this edge class, but he is a fiery competitor who constantly works to the ball and delivers some violent hits. He simply does not shut off when he’s on the field.
• Good run defense: While not the most powerful rusher in this class, Mesidor brings enough strength to set the edge and hold his ground at the point of attack. He does take himself out of the play with his aggressive play style and quickness, but that allows him to also deliver splash plays against the run. I wish he was stronger working on the frontside of run reps, but effort and his physicality will be enough to be a three-down playmaker here.

Cons of Akheem Mesidor

• Injury history: Mesidor has a vast injury history throughout his career. He has had surgeries on both feet at both West Virginia and Miami that has caused him to miss a good chunk of his career, and he even missed time this season with another foot injury.
• Age: Mesidor will be 25 years old before even being drafted.
• Adequate bend and change of direction: Mesidor isn’t a complete athlete, and you can see why he was mainly lining up on the interior for most of his career with his bend. He can change directions to counter inside or flatten to the quarterback, but I don’t think it will hold the same in the NFL. Additionally, his limited ability to change directions limits his ability to break down and tackle in space.

Background

A former Canadian player, Mesidor transferred down to Clearwater Academy in Florida as a senior, where he burst onto the scene to rise into a three-star recruit. He committed to the West Virginia Mountaineers over schools like Georgia Tech, UCLA, and Pitt, and hit the ground running. As a freshman, Mesidor was named a Freshman All-American and a Second-Team All-Big 12 member. He moved inside to nose tackle as a sophomore and didn’t have the same success, and transferred to the Miami Hurricanes in 2022.

Mesidor proved himself as a starter at Miami, but injuries derailed his 2023 season with a season-ending foot injury. In 2024, he moved from the interior to split time inside and out and was immediately named an Honorable Mention All-ACC, rebounding from his 2023 season. It wasn’t until 2025, however, that he truly thrived in a mostly full-time edge rushing role. Mesidor was a First-Team All-ACC member and a team captain and helped the Hurricanes reach the ACC Championship.

Player Evaluation

Mesidor is a tricky evaluation to parse, made even more complicated by his age and injury history. I will always bank on guys with his technique, physicality, quickness, and motor to be at least productive in the NFL, even if they may not be the best at their position. His technical refinement is sharp, and he never takes a snap off. More often than not, hustle wins in the NFL, and Mesidor brings plenty of that.


His overall athletic profile is closer to average or solid instead of spectacular, however, and it limits his ceiling. That, to me, drops his stock below where we’ve been seeing him in many mock drafts. I have little doubts about him succeeding in the NFL as a versatile pass rusher. I do have my doubts about him being a first-round pick.

A to Z Rankings

A to Z Big Board Ranking: #40 overall, EDGE #7

A to Z Draft Grade: 7.90

Draft projection: Day Two

NFL Draft

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