The prospect who makes perfect sense for the Lions is the guy draft experts will tell you to stay away from
The Lions do not care about this stuff
Every year at the NFL Combine the Detroit Lions are in Indy trying to find who might be the best fit for them. In this year’s case, they might have found that player on Day 2. The thing is, a lot of draft experts will tell you they should stay away.
The guy we’re talking about is Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor. On paper, he has everything the Lions want. In 2025, he put up 67 pressures, 12.5 sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, and an elite 88.3 run defense grade that was second in the nation.
Beyond that, he is a smart player who has demonstrated a deep understanding of the game, the willingness to take coaching, and the desire to improve. He fits the Lions culture as a guy who loves ball, wants to hit, and is all about the team. You see and hear the fit when you listen to him talk.
So what is the problem? Well, you can look at the tweet from Brett Kollmann above and see why draft experts are against it.
Is Akheem Mesidor too old for the Lions?
Kollman is right that Mesidor is 24 years old. The thing is that he’s only 24 for like one more month. He will be 25 in April before the 2026 NFL Draft. For draft experts, that means he’s a senior citizen, and teams should be avoiding him and looking to draft one of the younger edge rushers to grow with the team.
For a lot of other teams, that makes a lot of sense. For the guys who showed up at the 2025 NFL Draft wearing these sweaters, it makes no sense at all.
The Lions flat-out do not care about the classic draft evaluation stuff like height, weight, speed, or age. They care about what shows up in the film, and what shows up for Mesidor is that he might be the most NFL-ready edge rusher in this class. By that, I mean this guy can start right now. The growth process is nonexistent for him for the most part. He’s ready.
Which is another reason he fits the Lions so well. They’re theoretically not looking for the edge they have to grow over time, and maybe he’s good as a rookie, but he’ll be better later. They’re a team with Super Bowl aspirations who tripped in 2025, but are expected to be right back at it in 2026. Mesidor fits right into that situation as a guy who can hit the ground running.
There is some downside to the idea that he will be 30-years-old when his rookie deal is up, and that could affect the longevity of his time in Detroit, but again, why does that matter for the Lions? If they were a rebuilding team, you could understand, but they’re not.
Every year, I try to pick the best fit for the Lions at the Combine, and I do a little thing where I guarantee they’ll draft this guy. I’m sitting at 50% on that. I was right with Sione Vaki, but wrong with Chris Paul. I think my percentage goes up with Mesidor. After just two days, I’m ready to say he’s the guy for the Lions without any doubts.
The good news is that the Lions might feel the same way. They’ve had a formal meeting at the Combine with Mesidor. Let’s see where it goes.
Detroit Lions News
Detroit Lions NFL Draft Prospect Meeting Tracker: 2026 NFL Combine, Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl and more
Keeping track of every reported meeting the Lions have a head of the draft
