NFL Insider Makes Panthers Pick He’s Not Even Sold On in Latest Mock

Mesidor can move along the line, excelling on the edge and inside as well. His effort is unmatched, and he often wins one-on-one matchups and brings pressure to opposing QBs. 

PFF ranked Mesidor 3rd amongst all edge rushers in the country, giving him a 92.5 grade on the season. His 55 pressures rank eighth amongst all edge rushers as well. 

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The issue with Akheem Mesidor as a prospect

All the stats and tape around Akheem Mesidor make him seem like a top-five pick; he was that effective. There’s just one issue, though: he turns 25 years old before the NFL Draft takes place. 

In the Athletic’s assessment of Carolina’s mock pick, writer Joseph Person was seemingly talking himself out of the pick he predicited himself. 

In Person’s assessment, he stated, “I immediately experienced buyer’s remorse after making this pick because of the age concerns.” “I’ll consider this my warm-up mock and will probably look to go younger in the next one.” 

Even the writer who made the mock pick for Carolina knows it’s not the right call. Seeing a 25-year-old come in as a rookie and dominate right away just doesn’t always happen. By the time Mesidor really adjusts to the NFL level after six years of College football, he could be 27.

The tape on Mesidor doesn’t lie; there were games where he was the game changer instead of his teammate and fellow future draft pick Rueben Bain Jr. 

His birth certificate doesn’t lie either, though, and it's a reasonable cause to keep caution despite how good Mesidor looks on tape and how he does at the combine.