Gavin’s NFL Draft gem and germ of the week

Gem: Anthony Hill Jr., LB – Texas (Junior)

In a class that’s full of talent in the front seven, Anthony Hill Jr. is a name that has consistently stood out to me. The Texas junior has decided to forego his senior season to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft.

The current outlook on Hill has him as an early second round pick, but I truly believe that he is worthy of a first round grade. He has been an important part of Texas’ interior defense, offering elite support for their stacked defensive line.

Hill had 69 total tackles in 2025, 37 solo tackles, and 7 of those for loss. As a rusher, Hill also stacked on 4 sacks, primarily on blitzes. 2024 was even more impressive for Hill, as he lead the SEC in both tackles for loss (16.5) and forced fumbles (8).

My favorite part of Anthony Hill Jr.’s game is his run defense. He plays very well downhill, maturely reading gaps and making plays while not giving up major cutbacks. This was a bit of a problem for me when watching his 2024 film, as he played so aggressive and would give up cutback lanes. While his stats took a bit of a regression in 2025, he looked significantly more pro-ready.

In coverage, Hill can be better, but he’s nowhere near a liability. He’s at his best when playing a spy, reading the QB’s eyes with ease and shutting down hopes of a scramble, althewhile taking care of the middle of the field in coverage. His hip fluidity is something to keep an eye on, as he gets a bit stiff in deeper coverage.

The outlook here is definitely above average for where he’s projected. I believe that Hill has the potential to be the best linebacker in this class. He checks all of the boxes of a true NFL mike-backer and has the potential to be a solid starting option on day one.

Germ: Akheem Mesidor, EDGE – Miami (Redshirt Senior)

Akheem Mesidor played a major part in the defense that lead the Miami Hurricanes to the FBS National Championship. Akheem Mesidor showed out in the playoffs, having 5.5 sacks in the playoffs. However, I’m not entirely sold on his ability to be an NFL-caliber starter by the time the 2026 season starts.

Mesidor offers incredible pass-rushing upside in a four-down alignments. As a part of a tandem with Rueben Bain Jr, Mesidor helped anchor a top defensive line in all of college football. While he found his niche at Miami, it may be harder to find it in the NFL

Mesidor doesn’t have the length to effectively play wide, but lacks the functional size to play as a 5-6 tech defensive linemen, making him a bit of an in-between player. In the run game, Mesidor can become a liability, getting bullied by bigger offensive tackles that jar him off of the line.

The biggest elephant in the room here is his age. Mesidor has drawn a large portion of flack on social media for being a 6th year Senior. While this isn’t necessarily a weakness by itself, it should be noted that he will be a 25-year old rookie. While a good deal of 25-year old players have a full rookie deal’s worth of NFL experience behind them, he will be just starting his professional career. This also puts a timer on his development, and teams may not be satisfied with his developmental curve in the league.

Another thing to take into account is a lengthy injury history, including an undisclosed foot injury in 2023 that would sideline him for all but 2 games. While he seems to have recovered fine from every injury, his age mixed with an extensive history is a bit of a red flag. 

After the FBS National Championship, I still had Mesidor notched at a second round grade, while recent ESPN Big Boards have had him in the range of picks 15 to 25, which I can’t get behind. His day one role in the NFL should be a personnel-specific threat in the passing game rather than a three-down starter. He is an incredible pass-rusher, but he is too much of a liability in the run game to get behind his current projected value.