Entering the final week of the preseason, NFL teams have to start figuring out which players will be staying or going on their 90-man rosters, and the New York Giants are no different.
Teams have to have their final 53-man roster figured out by August 30 at 6 PM EST, and say goodbye to virtually half of the players they have spent the offseason with; as always, there are some tough decisions.
Typically, recent draft picks are an easy lock to make these rosters. If a team has invested a draft pick in you, especially a Day 2 or early Day 3 pick, the guaranteed money on the deal makes it an easy choice to maintain on the active roster.
But the Giants' 2025 third-round pick, defensive lineman Darius Alexander , may end up forcing New York's hand, considering how poor his preseason performances have been.
Alexander, the 65th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, was expected to use this offseason as a launch pad to stardom with the New York Giants.
With the departure of Dexter Lawrence, a major hole opened up on the interior of the defensive line for Alexander to fill, but he has been able to make his mark so far this summer.
According to GMENHQ's Matt Sidney, the former Toledo standout has been one of the Giants' worst players through the team's first two preseason games, and it's making it harder to picture him on the final 53-man roster.
"Well, after struggling mightily against the run as a rookie, the hope was he'd use this offseason to address those concerns and become a viable starter on a new-look defense under new head coach John Harbaugh. He's failed to impress, to say the least," wrote Sydney.
"Alexander finished his second preseason game with a dismal 39.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. That included a brutal 46.7 run-defense grade, which ranked third-to-last on the entire team. That comes on the heels of posting a 43.8 run-defense grade against the Vikings , finishing fifth-to-last. How can the G-Men possibly trust him if this is the production they're getting?"
Alexander's poor play may just end up turning him into an easy cut next weekend, especially if the Giants feel they can get more from their other reserve defensive linemen.
Even without Alexander in the mix, the New York Giants do have two veterans they can trust up front in D.J. Reader and Shelby Harris. Those two seem like players who mesh well with head coach John Harbaugh.
It's important to note Alexander's addition came when Joe Schoen was calling all the shots as general manager. Harbaugh will surely have a say in who makes his 53-man roster.
A player the new head coach may have had a hand in adding is rookie sixth-round pick Bobby Jamison-Travis, who was on the field with the Giants' starting defense this past Saturday against the Miami Dolphins .
He recorded a sack in minimal reps, proving the coaching staff right for trotting him out on the field for the start of the game. Jamison-Travis' recent performances may already have him inching ahead of a player like Alexander.
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