Dallas Cowboys Select Akheem Mesidor in 2026 NFL Mock Draft: Analysis & Insights

The SB Nation Community Mock Draft is back for another season, bringing together all 32 NFL sites to simulate a full first-round draft leading up to the real event from April 23–25, 2026.

Each site manager selects a player and provides detailed reasoning, followed by further analysis and final opinions on every pick.

With the 20th overall pick in the 2026 SB Nation Community Mock Draft, Blogging The Boys editor Dave Halprin and the Dallas Cowboys made their move:

Dallas Cowboys Select Akheem Mesidor

The Cowboys selected Akheem Mesidor, edge rusher from the Miami Hurricanes, to bolster their pass rush.

Halprin’s Analysis

“There is no question that Mesidor is one of the top edge rushers in this class, but the advanced age for a rookie is still something that affects future team-building strategy. When he’s done with his rookie contract, he’ll be nearly 30 years old and there’s a high chance he won’t be re-signed to a second contract given the realistic hit rate of a player with his profile.

Is that what the Cowboys want to use a first-round pick on? The guy you traded away for an extra first-round pick will be just two years older than the guy you’re going to try and replace him with? Seems like bad process. But alas, the Cowboys need help rushing the passer and Mesidor can do that on top of being a menace around the line of scrimmage. He runs with a motor always turned up to 11 and he’ll make a lot of plays simply by not giving up and chasing them down from behind.”

Mesidor’s selection comes after a standout performance in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship on January 19, 2026, where he rushed against the Indiana Hoosiers at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.