NFL Draft: How big of a deal is Akheem Mesidor’s age?

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 25: Akheem Mesidor #DL51 of Miami poses for a portrait during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 25, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images) | Getty Images Akheem Mesidor just celebrated his 25th birthday, and as such he poses a quandary for NFL teams trying to decide whether or not to invest a premium pick in selecting him. To be clear, concerns over his age are not about whether or not he will be an impact player into a second contract–even though that is the frequent “straw man” argument erected to defend why his age is not a cause for concern.

Instead, the concern comes because there is a notable history of older players struggling in the NFL on their first contract. The argument prior to the dawn of NIL has been that each time a player returns to college without coming out is a year that he did not seem to stand out enough to get a favorable draft position. So, imagine a player who is draft-eligible at 21 being advised he will be a late pick or UDFA.

He might return for another year and try to develop skills and increase his chances; but after a year he is again advised that he has a low ranking. And so on. Odds are, when he is finally forced to come out due to eligibility limitations, he is likely still not competitive with the players who flash right away.

By contrast, a player who stands out early might enter the draft as soon as he is eligible, to begin making money as soon as possible–and before an injury steals his chance to earn that money at all. With respect to this argument, NIL is likely changing the equation. However, there’s another argument, and it is that a player who relies on increased physical development to perform well in college will lose that advantage in the NFL, where almost everyone is a fully mature adult.