Chargers Select Miami DE Akheem Mesidor at No. 22

The Los Angeles Chargers selected defensive end Akheem Mesidor from the University of Miami with the 22nd overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night in Pittsburgh. The 6-foot-3, 259-pound player from Ottawa, Ontario, made history as the first Canadian born player chosen in the first round.

Mesidor's journey to the NFL was marked by perseverance and a circuitous college path. Originally a sparsely recruited three-star prospect from Canada, he moved to Florida for high school at Clearwater International Academy to increase his visibility. He began his collegiate career at West Virginia, where he played two seasons as both defensive end and defensive tackle, accumulating 70 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. After that, he transferred to Miami, where injuries limited him to three full seasons over six years of college football. Despite setbacks, including a lost year to injury and time playing out of position at defensive tackle in 2024, Mesidor broke out in his senior 2025 season. He recorded 63 tackles, including 17.5 for loss and 12.5 sacks, tying for third in the Football Bowl Subdivision, along with 67 quarterback pressures and four forced...