The Chargers spent the 22nd pick of the Draft on Edge Akheem Mesidor. The teammate of Rueben Bain Jr. tied for fourth-most total pressures among all FBS players last year, according to Pro Football Focus. He spent the past four years at Miami after two at West Virginia to open his college career.
Shane Hallam, DS film guru: "Playing opposite Rueben Bain didn't hurt, but Mesidor held his own. He may have already hit his peak at 25 years old, but he should be an immediate starter."
Let's hit that last point first: The Chargers drafting Mesidor in Round 1 says they agree with Shane that he should start quickly.
The team gave Edge Khalil Mack $10 million guaranteed on a one-year $18 million contract to keep him around this offseason. But Mack has played the two smallest snap shares of his career the past two years. Don't be surprised if that continues to trend downward.
Still, the fact that Mack returns opposite Edge Tuli Tuipulotu could limit Mesidor's rookie-year playing time.
He'll make for an OK option in low-DL3 range or later, but don't be surprised if the rookie settles lower than that in our IDP rankings.
The age matters more here. Mesidor did flash solid production early in his career, so it's not a matter of him breaking out late like some other older draft entrants. But that age obviously affects his longer-term outlook.
That said, Mesidor ranks a solid sixth among 2026 edge prospects in career tackles for loss per game, despite playing a class-high 65 games.
Still, expect Mesidor to land a little later among edges in our 2026 rookie IDP rankings than he did in the NFL Draft.
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