Giants Training Camp Player Preview: DL Darius Alexander

How can rookie Darius Alexander help affect this revamped Giants defensive line?

May 9, 2025; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants defensive tackle Darius Alexander (91) speaks to members of the press after rookie minicamp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | John Jones-Imagn Images

Defensive line assistance was important for the New York Giants going into the offseason following a disappointing 2024. 

They added a few new players via free agency that will bolster the defensive line's depth. However, many fans still believed they needed to add a defensive lineman in the draft who could be a potential running mate with their All-Pro defensive tackle, Dexter Lawrence. 

The Giants apparently felt the same way when they selected Toledo defensive tackle Darius Alexander with their third-round pick in the 2025 draft. 

It was a slow burn for Alexander as a college football player. He spent six seasons in college, and what is becoming more and more of a rare feat, all six were spent with the same university. 

In his first season with the Rockets, he redshirted, and his second season was the 2020 COVID season, during which they only played six games. In 2021, he earned the first three starts of his career and had a standout performance against Western Michigan, with five tackles. 

In 2022, he ran back a similar season and performance against Western Michigan. It was also the first time he began to show glimpses of the pro talent he could become when they faced Ohio State, which bolstered one of the best offensive lines in the country. He recorded three tackles, including a tackle for loss against the Buckeyes. 

In 2023, he forced himself into the lineup as a full-time starter. He made 11 starts that season and recorded two or more tackles in every game. He finished the season with 36 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. 

He also set a new single-game career high in tackles (six) against familiar foe Western Michigan. His effort earned him a third-team All-MAC selection, and he decided to return to Toledo for his extra seasons due to the Covid-shortened 2020 season. 

Alexander is a defensive tackle who should help immediately in the run game. He is a heavy-handed, knock-back type of defensive lineman who has a powerful and explosive first step, long arms, and a strong punch. He can push back the line of scrimmage, hold at the point of attack, and shed the blocker to make a tackle. 

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Darius Alexander, DT

• Height: 6-4
• Weight: 310  lbs.
• Exp.: Rookie
• School: Toledo
• How Acquired: D3-25 

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2024 in Review

Alexander’s final season was a realization of all his hard work. He met all of his talents at the same point, and he did not waste time getting to work. He backed up a 36-tackle, six-tackles-for-loss, four-sack performance in 2023 with a 40-tackle, eight-tackles-for-loss, 3.5-sack, and one-interception performance in 2024. 

He was an anchor in the middle and was disruptive in the backfield against the run. He even got his hands on four passes (for the second year in a row) and batted them down. 

He received second-team All-MAC recognition in 2024, following his third-team appointment in 2023. The offensive linemen voted him the top defensive lineman at the Senior Bowl, which is a very distinguished recognition.  

Contract/Cap Info

Alexander has yet to sign his rookie deal as of the publication date. However, Over the Cap projects it to be a four-year deal worth $6.762 million, which includes a $1.557 million signing bonus and a 2025 cap hit of $1.229 million.

2025 Preview

The Giants set out to get interior defensive line assistance, which is exactly what they did. The question for Alexander is how much he will be utilized. His ideal position is on the interior as a three-technique, but he can exist as an odd front four or five-technique. 

If he can carve out a role for himself early with all of the defensive linemen in front of him, it will likely be because he was able to prove that he is capable of helping minimize interior run effectiveness. It will not be because of his pass-rushing prowess. 

If he is in there, expect him to shine when he is left to go one-on-one against a guard in this league. There should be moments for him to make his mark, and as an older defensive player, he should instinctively know how to operate like some of the younger vets.

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