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 23 with the first round, followed by rounds two and three April 24 and the final four rounds April 25.

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).

Role models

WATCH: Community Champion Tyler Kowalski

25m ago

Middle Eastern Conflict

Canada, allies say they're ready to help stop Iran's shipping blockade

10h ago

spending

Northern leaders react to 2026 provincial budget

13h ago

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.

Mesidor and Boston College’s Logan Taylor, a hulking six-foot-seven, 305-pound offensive lineman from Lunenburg, N.S., both attended the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., and the NFL combine in Indianapolis.

Mesidor and Taylor also held down the top and No. 2 ranking, respectively, in the CFL scouting bureau’s winter list of the top-20 prospects for its draft April 28. But the expectation is both will be future selections north of the border.

If Mesidor is selected in the first round, he’d 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