The Philadelphia Eagles will spend a good chunk of time scouting top wide receivers in the 2026 NFL Draft as the A.J. Brown rumors swirl, but Howie Roseman may opt for a slightly more prudent option and address a more immediate need by spending his top pick on a pass rusher.
The Eagles will likely take a look at Texas A&M's Cashius Howell, an undersized speed rusher who is not going to be a tremendous edge-setter at the professional level. Miami's Akheem Mesidor, a bigger end with experience that was born to play with his hand in the dirt, is also likely to be available.
Even though Howell and Mesidor have about as different a skillset as anyone could possibly have, there's a future in which either one of them comes to Philadelphia and immediately cements themselves as a core piece of the future.
Eagles could add Akheem Mesidor or Cashius Howell in 2026 NFL Draft
Howell is going to have some arm length numbers that make Roseman and other executives cringe, as he has one of the smallest measurements in the history of the NFL Combine. Hitting historic outlier status makes him a tough sell.
Mesidor is a 24-year-old end who didn't really break out until his final season in college, which may lead some to question whether he will have the highest developmental ceiling in the NFL. Philly may not be the best scheme fit for him either, especially given their historic preference for smaller, speed-oriented guys like Howell.
Even with these issues, both of them could thrive in Philadelphia. Howell's juice off the edge exceeds even Nolan Smith's. Mesidor can make up for the fact that Philly's starting edge rushers are not the best at steeling up the outside of the line in run defense. No longer do Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter alone need to pick up the slack for the edge rusher's performance.
Howell recorded 11.5 sacks last season, and he has a deep collection of pass rush moves that were able to beat a slate of future pro tackles in the SEC. Mesidor actually had more sacks than Howell at 12.5 and outproduced teammate and expected Top 10 pick Rueben Bain Jr. in getting to the quarterback.
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It seems likely that at least one of Mesidor or Howell will be there for Philly at No. 23, and while both of them have their problems as prospects, the Eagles could find a role for either the diminutive speed demon or the bigger edge-setter in Vic Fangio's defense.