{"id":867676,"date":"2026-04-16T12:31:44","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T12:31:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/867676\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T12:31:44","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T12:31:44","slug":"mel-kiper-jr-has-the-patriots-addressing-defense-in-round-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/867676\/","title":{"rendered":"Mel Kiper Jr. Has the Patriots Addressing Defense in Round 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"Akheem\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Mel Kiper Jr. has the New England Patriots taking Miami Hurricanes egde rusher Akheem Mesidor in his latest mock draft.<\/p>\n

Spring has sprung, and the NFL<\/a> Draft is just a week away. It\u2019s a time of year for hope around the NFL as teams look to the future. That includes the New England Patriots<\/a>, who are looking to solidify their roster to prepare for another playoff run next season.<\/p>\n

This is also the time of year when mock drafts are flying around. That includes the latest mock draft<\/a> from ESPN\u2019s draft guru, Mel Kiper Jr.<\/p>\n

In his latest, Kiper has the Patriots using the No. 31 overall pick to address the defensive side of the ball, taking edge rusher Akheem Mesidor from the Miami Hurricanes<\/a>. Mesidor is currently ranked by Kiper as the fourth-best defensive end on Kiper\u2019s Big Board<\/a>, and he\u2019d be taken by the Patriots after a projected run on pass rushers in the first round.<\/p>\n

\u201cMesidor is supremely talented, with 12.5 sacks, 58 pressures and 11 run stops in 2025,\u201d Kiper wrote. \u201cBut he\u2019s also 25 years old and has some injury history over his six-year college career. If the Patriots are comfortable with the durability risk, they could absolutely use his production. Their 35 sacks tied for seventh fewest last season, and swapping in Dre\u2019Mont Jones<\/a>\u00a0for\u00a0K\u2019Lavon Chaisson<\/a> was the team\u2019s main change on the edge this offseason. Mesidor could quickly become a feared disrupter in the AFC East.\u201d<\/p>\n

What to Know About Miami Hurricanes Edge Rusher Akheem Mesidor\"Akheem<\/p>\n

GettyMiami Hurricanes edge rusher Akheem Mesidor in the College Football Playoff.<\/p>\n

The Canadian-born Akheem Mesidor is one of the most interesting players in this year\u2019s NFL Draft. He has a ton of talent, but is entering the NFL Draft at the age of 25, after playing six seasons of college football.<\/p>\n

Mesidor had been a three-star recruit coming out of high school, according to 247 Sports<\/a>. He\u2019d end up going to West Virginia, over schools like Syracuse, UCLA<\/a>, and Pitt. Mesidor\u2019s first season in college, 2020, would not count toward his eligibility. There, he\u2019d spend two seasons, in which he was named Second and Third-Team All-Big 12, before hitting the Transfer Portal.<\/p>\n

Landing at Miami, Mesidor had a productive 2022 season before 2023 was derailed by injuries. He would end up using a redshirt for that 2023 season. Mesidor\u2019s health bounced back in 2024, but not his production, which led to him returning in 2025 for what ended up being by far the best season of his career.<\/p>\n

As a sixth-year senior, Mesidor played in 15 games and had 12.5 sacks to go with 17.5 tackles for a loss. He also had 63 total tackles. It was the first time in his college career that he had double-digit sacks, the second time that he had double-digit tackles for a loss, and 25 more tackles than he had in any single season. It was good enough to become a Second-Team All-American selection.<\/p>\n

In the leadup to the NFL Draft, Mesidor has consistently been praised for his effort, as well as how he balances power and finesse moves. On top of that, he\u2019s a capable defender against the run. Still, his age and injury history will be worth keeping an eye on, not to mention he\u2019s undersized for the NFL.<\/p>\n

Eliot Wolf on the Patriots\u2019 Plans for an Edge Rusher\"Eliot<\/p>\n

GettyNew England Patriots EVP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf shared what he\u2019s looking for in an edge rusher.<\/p>\n

Ahead of the NFL Draft, New England Patriots EVP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf held a press conference. There, the topic of edge rushers came up, and Wolf admitted the team needed to add some speed there.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could complement [free agent signing\u00a0Dre\u2019Mont Jones] with some speed,\u201d\u00a0Wolf said<\/a>.\u00a0\u201cI think that\u2019s evident. Dre\u2019Mont and\u00a0Harold [Landry III]<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Elijah [Ponder]<\/a>\u00a0and some of the other guys we have, they all have their skill sets. We would like to get faster, Dre\u2019Mont\u2019s a guy who can play across the line, run games, he can sneaky beat you with speed but that\u2019s probably not his bread and butter. So, that\u2019s an area we\u2019re looking to try to improve the depth on the roster.\u201d<\/p>\n

Akheem Mesidor could be the edge rusher who adds that speed. There is a problem, though. Measuring in at 6\u20193\u2033 and 259 lbs, he\u2019s considered undersized. That lack of size isn\u2019t something Wolf wants to give away.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never want a smaller guy; faster guy,\u201d Wolf said.<\/p>\n

Time will tell what the Patriots do with the No. 31 overall pick. Clearly, there is a need to fill at edge rusher, though. It\u2019s a matter of whether or not Mesidor is the player to fill it.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tDan Morrison<\/a> After graduating from UMass in 2019, Dan Morrison quickly began a career in sports journalism and digital media. That has seen him work both as a contributing writer at several publications, as well as spending time on the National News Desk at On3. During that time, he has spent the majority of his time covering football, both at the college and NFL levels. Currently residing in Central Florida, his focus with Heavy is on the NFL. More about Dan Morrison<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Patriots\n\t\t<\/p>\n

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