There was hardly any suspense about what the Las Vegas Raiders would do to kick off the 2026 NFL Draft. The franchise did what was expected since landing the No. 1 overall pick, selecting Fernando Mendoza to be their quarterback of the future.
If, and how, the AFC West would react to that move was a far bigger mystery. The Kansas City Chiefs wasted no time with their rebuttal, as they gave up a third- and fifth-round pick to move up three spots and select cornerback Mansoor Delane sixth overall.
While they at least stood pat at No. 22 overall, the Los Angeles Chargers followed suit by selecting Akheem Mesidor to bolster their pass rush. Their decision to ignore one of the biggest needs in the entire NFL should leave Raiders fans rejoicing.
Las Vegas Raiders fans should be thrilled with their AFC West foes' draft pick
Similar to the Raiders, the Chargers' offensive line was one of the worst position rooms in the entire NFL last season. Of course, Las Vegas has made moves to upgrade that unit, signing Tyler Linderbaum while Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson will return from injury.
Their divisional rivals also dealt with the injury bug up front in 2025, as Joe Alt played just six games while Rashawn Slater missed the entire season. While both offensive tackles should be back this season, their lone addition to their interior offensive line was adding center Tyler Biadasz.
For this reason, many thought that the Chargers would target help on the interior offensive line, as protecting Justin Herbert should be a top priority. Instead, they added to a defense that finished ninth in scoring, fifth in total yards allowed, and tied for tenth in sacks with the selection of Mesidor.
While the second-team All-American certainly produced at a high level, recording 35.5 sacks and 52.5 tackles for loss in college, he did that across a six-year career. The pass rusher is 25 years old and did not exactly fill a need for a team that has bigger issues elsewhere.
His addition will help combat the loss of Odafe Oweh, but Los Angeles has Tuli Tuipulotu and Khalil Mack as their primary pass rushers, making Mesidor a luxury rather than a necessity. His age, combined with the Chargers' passing on a much bigger need, make the move a real head scratcher.
Mesidor, who was in the same recruiting class as Will Anderson Jr., who just became the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, will be closing in on 30 years old when his rookie contract expires.
While the move should help bolster an already strong defensive front for the Chargers, Raiders fans should feel pretty confident, as Los Angeles' curious decision to pass on offensive line help will likely limit their ceiling yet again.
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