Darius Alexander Is Fighting for a Starting Job on a Retooled Giants D-Line

After a shaky start to his rookie year, Alexander closed strong and now has a real shot to win a starting role following the Dexter Lawrence trade.

New York Giants defensive tackle Darius Alexander | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Darius Alexander is competing for a starting job on a New York Giants defensive line that looks nothing like what the team envisioned a year ago.

The team's third-round pick in 2025, Alexander was drafted out of Toledo with the idea that he'd pair with Dexter Lawrence on New York's interior defensive line. That plan changed the moment the Giants traded Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals, but Alexander still has a real path to a starting role this season.

Alexander's rookie year got off to a slow start thanks to an undisclosed injury that kept him sidelined during the spring and lengthened his learning curve after coming out of a smaller program like Toledo.

But to his credit, he came on strong in the team’s final six games, recording 11 of his 20 tackles, three of his four tackles for loss, four of his six quarterback hits, and three of his 3.5 sacks over that span.

Alexander tied for seventh among defensive tackles in the sacks category over that six-week span.

Alexander Must Be More Efficient Against the Run

May 21, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants defensive tackle Darius Alexander (91) looks on during organized team activities at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This year, the Giants brought in a slew of defensive linemen who are versatile enough to play both at nose tackle, 3-tech, and defensive end, depending on the type of front called for by defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson.

In his rookie campaign, Alexander saw 15 of his 394 defensive snaps aligned as the 1-tech rather than directly over center.

That initial work raises questions about what kind of role he might have in the defensive line rotation, as veteran Shelby Harris, one of the free-agent acquisitions made by the team in the offseason, projects as the starter alongside DJ Reader, who will anchor the nose tackle spot.

Alexander, who saw a healthy amount of snaps with the first-team defense this spring, will compete for that starting job in 2026. He will need to show equal comfort defending the run as he did rushing the passer.

That will come if he improves his lower-body strength, which will allow him to better anchor against the run.

Alexander is set to have a larger role in this year’s defense. By showing more power in his overall game, his quest to earn a large piece of the defensive line rotation snaps will be recognized.

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