The Bears’ Preferred Plan Is To Trade Down And Take Akheem Mesidor — Here’s Evidence
Everybody who worked in the NFL will say teams don’t make a decision on who they want to draft in February. There is still a lot of prep work to do. Pro days must be attended. Private visits must be conducted. A lot can happed with over a month still to go before the draft. Minds can change. This is true to an extent, but it’s not always the case. There have been many instances over the past few decades in which teams knew who they wanted to draft long before the event began. That is why you see minimal buzz around a #1 overall pick or a team jumping up in the 1st round via trade to snag someone. Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles is no stranger to this. So how does this involve Akheem Mesidor, you may ask?
Poles has made it clear on multiple occasions that he had eyes for specific players several weeks before the draft. It was true with Darnell Wright in 2023 and, of course, Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze in 2024. So it’s not at all crazy to think the Bears already have a good idea of who they want in the 2025 draft. In fact, signs are emerging that they may be formulating a plan to draft him. That player is the Miami Hurricanes defensive end. If you think that is a stretch, just follow the breadcrumbs.
Akheem Mesidor is considered a day two prospect in NFL circles
Let’s start with the player. Mesidor was one of the most dominant pass rushers this past season in college football, amassing 12.5 sacks while helping Miami reach the national championship game. Though average in terms of size, he brings violence, power, understated burst, and a white hot motor to the table. Under normal circumstances, he would likely be a top 10 pick. Unfortunately, Mesidor turns 25 years old this year, making him one of the oldest prospects in the class. This is primarily why, according to draft insider Charlie Campbell, people in the league see him as a likely day two pick.
A tremendous defense led by defensive ends Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor led Miami to the National Championship game. In the college football playoff, Bain and Mesidor were red-hot and produced consistent pressure on the quarterback. Many in the media have projected both to be first-round picks next April, but in speaking with sources at multiple teams, they have Mesidor as a day-two prospect.
“He’s got kind of a unique body, and he’s older, so we have him as a day-two guy,” said an AFC director of player personnel. Sources at other teams echoed those same sentiments about Mesidor’s age and size. At 6-foot-3, 259 pounds and having short arms, Mesidor does not have the height or length that teams like to see with their edge rushers. Next season, Mesidor will be 25, and that is old for an NFL rookie.
If this is true, then any team that likes him will likely know their chances are good of landing Mesidor either at the bottom of the 1st round or top of the 2nd, which would give them the incentive to move down.
NFL executives believe the Bears might look to move down
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune spoke with multiple NFL executives to gauge what the Bears might do with the 25th overall pick. Plenty talked about their options on defense, which should be plentiful. There could also be a left tackle option or two, depending on how things trend in the first 24 picks. However, more than one of them admitted this class might incentivize Poles to move down from that spot, namely because the list of acceptable options will be much longer than it would be if the Bears were picking in the top 10.
Said a college scouting director: “Instead of having to have seven guys on the board that you would take, now you have to have 15 or 25 that you’d like there. You get to a point where you’re like, ‘We don’t have 25 players we like in the first round.’ Then you start thinking about moving back, get some value.”
It’s an important point. If there are, say, 15 players the Bears might be willing to take at #25, then moving back ten spots would mean there will be at least five still remaining when they’re back on the board. The logic is sound. It was a big part of why Poles felt comfortable moving down from #1 in 2023. He was confident the player he wanted, Wright, would still be available. He was correct. So could he be similarly confident about Mesidor?
Ryan Poles mentioned Mesidor unprompted in an interview
The last part of this argument is determining whether the Bears even like the Miami defensive end. That became a major factor during an interview on The McShay Show, when he brought up the young man unprompted while discussing older prospects. At no point did the Bears’ general manager sound at all down on the idea of taking the pass rusher. Part of it is because Mesidor has tons of experience, so he would be ready to play immediately. Another is that he was developed by Jason Taylor, a Hall of Fame pass rusher.
Let’s also not forget Poles has already shown he isn’t afraid to take calculated risks on older prospects. His most famous was 3rd round wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. (25) in 2022. Punter Tory Taylor was 26 when the Bears drafted him in 2024, and cornerback Zah Frazier turned 25 in October last year. Age clearly isn’t something that deters this GM. Not if he believes he’s getting a talented player at a reasonable value. Akheem Mesidor is a talented player. Besides, it’s not like taking older pass rushers doesn’t work.
| Player | Team | Draft Year | Age at Draft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jared Verse | Los Angeles Rams | 2024 | 24 |
| Jermaine Johnson II | New York Jets | 2022 | 24 |
| Devonte Wyatt | Green Bay Packers | 2022 | 24 |
| Boye Mafe | Seattle Seahawks | 2022 | 24 |
| Arnold Ebiketie | Atlanta Falcons | 2022 | 24 |
| Markus Golden | Arizona Cardinals | 2015 | 24 |
Things are lining up. The Bears need pass rush help. Mesidor is one of the best in the class. Chicago would like to move down to secure extra draft capital (they have only 7 picks). NFL teams don’t like drafting older players in the 1st round. Lastly, you have a GM in charge who has a history of selecting them. All the signs point to what the Bears want to do.