Mesidor is one of the biggest draft risers from the College Playoffs, going from Round 3 Grade with a 90th overall big board ranking in early December to now a Round 2 Grade and a top 50 pick (who might sneak into Round 1).
What did Mesidor do to warrant such a grade jump? Just get 23 Pressures (18.1% Pressure Rate) and 5 sacks in his last 4 games against some of the best linemen in the country in matchups against Texas A&M, Ohio State, Ole Miss, and Indiana. Getting 4 pressures in the National Championship while being matched up against Indiana Left Tackle Carter Smith for some of those is not an easy feat, especially considering Smith entered the game allowing just 2 pressures all season. Mesidor dominating his end of season matchups naturally has him rapidly moving up boards.
Still there were always concern that Mesidor would not be able to fully erase no matter how well he played. His age in particular will be a major talking point for teams. They need a 25 year old pass rusher to be able to hit his ceiling quicker than most other prospects before the dreaded 30 year old age regression begins. Will he be able to hit the ground running and provide quality play before his rookie contract is up. And even if he is a hit, being 28-29 and needing your first big money contract for long term is not an easy negotiation with teams in the pass rusher market.
Mesidor has plenty of potential for immediate impact, with a level of polish and variety in his pass rush snaps combined with strong athleticism on a good frame. It is easy to see the path for him to be a strong short term contributor to a team. In an NFL landscape where patience is a scarce resource, that could be big for Mesidor’s draft stock.