The Philadelphia Eagles may need to invest one of their top picks in the 2026 NFL Draft on a pass rusher following the loss of Jaelan Phillips in free agency, but they may need to hope the Dallas Cowboys don't ruin their plans by taking perhaps the best Phillips replacement on the market.
On FanSided's interactive 2026 NFL Draft Big Board, which features both an overall top-50 and a specific top-five for all 32 teams, Inside The Iggles ranked Miami pass rusher Akheem Mesidor as the No. 1 overall player Philadelphia should have its sights set on. Of all teams, Dallas might be ready to jump in and spoil the fun.
The Landry Hat, FanSided's Dallas Cowboys site, ranked Mesidor No. 5 on their Big Board. Considering that Dallas has the No. 20 pick in the Draft due to the Micah Parsons trade, they are in a perfect position to snatch Mesidor from the Eagles' grasp.
Eagles NFL Draft target Akheem Mesidor targeted by Cowboys
The Cowboys have been linked to a move up in the order in recent weeks, with links to names like David Bailey suggesting that Dallas is targeting a pass rusher. However, if they are unable to work out some sort of trade, picking the best player available at No. 12 overall could lead to them picking a top edge rusher at No. 20.
Mesidor is not a classic 3-4 outside linebacker, as the 24-year-old pass rusher played with his hand in the dirt quite often. Where he excels is both setting the edge and converting tremendous speed into power to make life hell for quarterbacks. He had more sacks than teammate and possible Top 10 pick Rueben Bain last season.
Mesidor isn't going to blow anyone away with his first step, and there are questions about why he broke out so late into his college career, but Vic Fangio has had success with similarly built pass rushers beforehand. With Nolan Smith standing out as the top edge rusher on the team right now, Mesidor would provide some juice.
The Eagles could go in one of two directions if Mesidor is gone. They could pivot to another edge rusher like Texas A&M's Cashius Howell or Clemson's T.J. Parker. Following the ITI big board, an offensive lineman like Arizona State's Max Iheanachor or a receiver like Indiana's Omar Cooper Jr. could appeal.
Read more: Eagles hosting local pre-draft visit that would give backup plan for Cam Jurgens
Missing Mesidor could sting for Eagles fans, but missing him and watching him do to Dallas might be a terrible way for the three-day festivities to begin.
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