{"id":225539,"date":"2026-04-09T23:09:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T23:09:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/225539\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T23:09:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T23:09:13","slug":"miamis-akheem-mesidor-could-boost-bears-defense-in-2026-nfl-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/225539\/","title":{"rendered":"Miami’s Akheem Mesidor Could Boost Bears’ Defense in 2026 NFL Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"AMesidor’s relentless pass-rushing style could provide a much-needed boost to the Bears’ defense.Today in Miami<\/p>\n

The Chicago Bears are looking to bolster their defense in the 2026 NFL Draft, and Miami’s Akheem Mesidor could be the perfect fit at the 25th overall pick. Mesidor, a 25-year-old edge rusher, is known for his high-effort, energetic play and strong instincts, which could help improve a Bears defense that struggled to generate consistent pressure last season.<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

The Bears’ defense was a weak spot in 2025, ranking 22nd in the league in passing yards allowed. Adding a talented pass rusher like Mesidor could help shore up that unit and take some of the pressure off the offense led by quarterback Caleb Williams.<\/p>\n

The details<\/p>\n

Mesidor emerged as a star opposite Miami’s Rueben Bain, another potential first-round pick, in 2025. He showcased strong pursuit angles, hand technique, and the ability to identify and disrupt bootleg and RPO plays. At 6-foot-3 and 259 pounds, Mesidor also has the size and versatility to play both as a wide-9 defender and in the interior of the defensive line.<\/p>\n

Mesidor is projected to be available with the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23.<\/p>\n

The players<\/p>\n

Akheem Mesidor<\/p>\n

A 25-year-old edge rusher from the University of Miami who is projected to be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n

Rueben Bain<\/p>\n

Mesidor’s teammate at Miami, another highly touted edge rusher who is expected to be selected before the 15th overall pick.<\/p>\n

Caleb Williams<\/p>\n

The Chicago Bears’ starting quarterback, who led the team to the playoffs in 2025.<\/p>\n

Ben Johnson<\/p>\n

The Chicago Bears’ head coach, who will be looking to improve the team’s defense in the 2026 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n

Dennis Allen<\/p>\n

The Chicago Bears’ defensive coordinator, who will be tasked with integrating Mesidor into the team’s defensive scheme.<\/p>\n

Got photos? Submit your photos here. \u203a<\/a>
\n What they\u2019re saying<\/p>\n

\u201cHe’s freaky and he’s got some trends you can’t coach.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro Edge Rusher<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next<\/p>\n

The Bears will have until April 23 to decide whether to select Mesidor with the 25th overall pick or potentially trade up to secure the talented edge rusher.<\/p>\n

The takeaway<\/p>\n

Mesidor’s combination of instincts, pass-rushing ability, and NFL-ready maturity make him an intriguing target for the Bears, who are looking to bolster their defense and take some pressure off their high-powered offense led by Caleb Williams.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a Mesidor’s relentless pass-rushing style could provide a much-needed boost to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":225540,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[123,125,124],"class_list":["post-225539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-miami","tag-miami","tag-miami-headlines","tag-miami-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/225539","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=225539"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/225539\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/225540"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=225539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=225539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=225539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}