The Los Angeles Chargers took Miami Hurricanes linebacker Akheem Mesidor with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
One of the older prospects in the draft at age 25, Mesidor is also one of the few Canadian players. In fact, according to TSN, Mesidor is now the highest drafted Canadian player in NFL history. A native of Ottawa, Mesidor played six college seasons, the first four at West Virginia before transferring to Miami.
Mesidor came into his own in his final season with the Hurricanes, leading the ACC in sacks with 12.5 as Miami made it all the way to the national championship game.
The 6-foot-2, 272-pounder was also named a second-team All-American in 2025, and made All-ACC first team. He now joins Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu to give the Chargers one of the most intimidating pass rush corps in the NFL.
But Mesidor missed most of 2023 with a foot injury, and according to Thomas Martinez of SI.com, “Mesidor will be entering the NFL a full year-and-a-half older than Chargers starting edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu, who will be entering his fourth NFL season in 2026.”
The Chargers, however, were determined to draft another edge.
Chargers Filled Biggest Defensive Need
The Chargers entered the 2026 NFL Draft with a gaping hole on their roster on each side of the ball, and only five picks to fill the two needs. The two most pressing requirements, agreed upon by analysts: offensive guard and edge rusher.
General manager Joe Hortiz held the No. 22 overall selection, along with picks at No. 55, No. 86, No. 123 and No. 204. That capital carries enormous weight for a franchise coming off back-to-back first-round playoff exits.
Los Angeles Chargers’ Offensive Line Need in the 2026 NFL Draft
The case for prioritizing guard was a tough one to argue against. Justin Herbert absorbed a league-high 129 hits in 2025, took a career-high 54 sacks â second-most in the NFL â and finished the season with a broken left hand, per Sharp Football Analysis. Rashawn Slater missed the entire year with a ruptured patellar tendon. Joe Alt played in just six games. The team’s most-used offensive line combination appeared together on only 16.5% of offensive snaps â the worst rate in the league.
Herbert compensated by rushing for a career-high 498 yards at a career-high 8% scramble rate. New offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel inherited that wreckage. He will require functional guard play to run his outside zone system effectively.
The top guard in the class was Penn State’s Olaivavega Ioane, the dream pick at No. 22, according to The Athletic‘s Daniel Popper. Ioane started 32 games at left guard for the Nittany Lions and brought the movement skills and lower-body drive McDaniel’s scheme demands, though most evaluators projected him as a top-15 pick. Behind him, Texas A&M’s Chase Bisontis, No. 34 overall per Dane Brugler, was the next viable guard option. Utah tackle Spencer Fano, Brugler’s No. 8 overall prospect, also drew interest as a tackle capable of converting inside to guard.
The incumbents at the position offered little comfort. Trevor Penning ranked 87th at his position in pressure rate allowed across stints with the Saints and Chargers. Cole Strange graded 63rd among all guards, per Sharp Football Analysis. Neither represented a sustainable answer for a quarterback on Herbert’s timeline.
Edge Rusher Need and Key Draft Targets for 2026
Tuli Tuipulotu delivered the best season of his career in 2025, 13 sacks and a 17.9% pressure rate ranking sixth among all qualified pass rushers. But the depth behind him was thinning fast. Khalil Mack returned on a one-year deal after recording 5.5 sacks in 12 games. Bud Dupree entered the season as a rotational piece. The Chargers also lost Odafe Oweh in free agency, and Tuipulotu himself was scheduled to hit free agency after 2026, making a long-term edge answer genuinely urgent.
Clemson’s T.J. Parker was Popper’s top edge fit for the Chargers in the first-round range, a polished rusher who plays with length, leveraged power, and a consistent motor. Auburn’s Keldric Faulk offered more raw upside as a developmental prospect, while Miami’s Akheem Mesidor â 35.5 career sacks and a physically violent play style â represented a plug-and-play option, per Chargers.com‘s Eric Smith. Illinois’ Gabe Jacas, a violent and physically imposing rusher, was Popper’s top second-round edge target for Los Angeles.
Hortiz framed the team’s approach at his pre-draft press conference.
“We’re excited about the draft and knowing that we’re going to be able to add at least five players, hopefully more, to the roster that can help impact it,” he said, per Chargers.com. The Chargers ranked 26th in total draft capital entering the weekend, per Sharp Football Analysis.
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