Akheem Mesidor Ready to Soak Up Khalil Mack’s Wisdom, Make Immediate Impact

Akheem Mesidor’s message has been clear since he spoke to the media after being drafted 22nd overall: he has a high motor and wants to learn from Khalil Mack.

On Friday afternoon, the second part came true. As Mesidor was taking a tour of “The Bolt” before meeting with the media, he saw a player working out on the practice field—it was Mack.

“I told him I was going to ask him a bunch of questions leading into the meeting room, whatever it was,” Mesidor said during his press conference. “I was going to try to learn as much as I can from him."

In a video uploaded by the Chargers on X, Mesidor told Mack it was “an honor” to meet him, with the veteran saying, “Same, man. Proud of you. Been watching you.”

“Let’s get it, man,” Mack told Mesidor, to which he responded, “hell yeah.” Mack dabbed him up.

Before he continued his tour, he told Mack, “If you’re just talking through something I’ll just sit and listen.”

Mesidor is showing a desire to get better and learn from one of the best. He remembers watching Mack, who is one of the premier pass rushers in the game.

“Fairly [familiar] from his Chicago days," Mesidor said. “There’s no way you play football or are on social media without seeing a few clips of Khalil Mack."

One of the most important, and sometimes underrated, aspects of Mack’s game is the way he sets the edge and plays the run. It is something Mesidor feels he can do in Los Angeles, similar to what he did at the University of Miami.

Another element of Mack’s approach that can be overlooked is how he takes care of his body. Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz joked after Round 1 that Mack plays and looks like he is 22 years old at 35—something Mesidor wants to learn.

“He’s been in the game so long," Mesidor said. “So how he’s done that, how he takes care of his body, what’s his routine when it comes to day-to-day things. Then when we’re in the meeting room, his pass rush plan, plan on first and second down, how he approaches looks on the field. Just try to pick his brain as much as I can."

Mesidor has undergone surgery on both feet and dealt with a shoulder issue in the past, so getting his body right—especially with how rigorous the NFL season is, will be key for the rookie.

The Ottawa native is used to learning from NFL legends. His defensive line coach at Miami is former Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor.

Mesidor said Taylor was a big inspiration.

“The biggest thing about Coach JT is he’s not going to try to do too much," Mesidor said. “You watch his tape, he’s a simple guy. He creates length, keeps people away from him and he just has a high motor.

“Every coach is going to teach you the basic fundamentals of football. But the difference with Coach JT is experience, 14 years in the league, gold jacket, picking his brain on how to watch film, what to look at when you’re watching film, pass rush progression, first and second down rush versus third down, how to take care of my body. Everything about football. The game is what he taught me the most of."

He admitted he wasn’t familiar with the game of fellow pass rusher Tuli Tuipulotu but said he will get up to speed quickly.

The Chargers love his high motor, as previously mentioned, but also his desire to learn and improve. It will be interesting to see if he can become the heir apparent to Mack, but learning from a player who has 113 career sacks isn’t a bad way to start a career.

“I just love the game,” Mesidor said. “The physicality, the violence, the technicality, how technical I am in my game, just everything that comes with football, on the field and off the field, and the relationships you can build. Football is more than just a helmet and pads. It’s a lifestyle for me."