Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is sacked by Miami defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor during the second half of the College Football Playoff national championship game, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

By The Canadian Press

Canadian DL Akheem Mesidor projected 15th overall in NFL mock draft

Mar 19, 2026 | 12:38 PM

Canadian Akheem Mesidor is moving up in Daniel Jeremiah’s latest mock NFL draft projection.

Jeremiah still sees Ottawa’s Mesidor as a solid first-round prospect, projecting the Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 15 overall.

Jeremiah had Mesidor, 24, going 17th overall to the Detroit Lions in his first mock draft. In his second, he slotted Mesidor to the Dallas Cowboys at No. 20.

The NFL draft gets underway April 24 with the first round, followed by rounds two and three April 25 and the final four rounds April 26.

Jeremiah isn’t merely taking a flyer on his selections. He has NFL personnel/scouting experience with the Baltimore Ravens (2003-06), Cleveland Browns (2007-08) and Philadelphia Eagles (2010-12).

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The six-foot-three, 265-pound Mesidor enjoyed a stellar 2025 season at Miami, registering 60 tackles (36 solo, 15.5 for loss) with 10.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. He had three tackles (two solo) and two sacks in the Hurricanes’ 27-21 NCAA championship loss to Indiana.

Mesidor was an All-ACC first-team selection. He played his first two collegiate seasons at West Virginia and started 52-of-65 career NCAA games, recording 205 tackles (121 solo, 50.5 for loss) with 33.5 sacks.

He attended both the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., and the NFL combine in Indianapolis.

Mesidor also held down the top ranking in the CFL scouting bureau’s winter list of the top-20 prospects for its draft April 28. But Mesidor will be a definite future selection north of the border.

If Mesidor is selected in the first round, he would become the sixth Canadian to do so and the first since 2019, when Arizona State receiver N’Keal Harry was taken No. 32 overall by the New England Patriots.

Harry was born in Toronto but relocated to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines as a baby before moving to Arizona.

He spent time in the NFL with New England (2019-21), Chicago (2022), Minnesota (2023-24) and Seattle (2024), registering 64 catches for 714 yards with five TDs.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2026.

The Canadian Press