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Giants' Darius Alexander Situation Just Took a Sharp Turn
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- Giants' Darius Alexander Situation Just Took a Sharp Turn
(Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)
In the 2025 NFL Draft, the New York Giants landed what many considered to be a potential steal when they snatched defensive tackle Darius Alexander in the third round.
Alexander was an impressive player at Toledo, and standing 6-foot-4 while weighing 310 pounds, he possessed good size for the position. He also demonstrated both run-stopping and pass-rushing capabilities in college.
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With the Giants needing another reliable body next to Dexter Lawrence at the time, Alexander seemed like a terrific pickup.
Of course, Alexander had a very disappointing rookie campaign, only showing some flashes toward the end of the season. But with Lawrence getting traded earlier this offseason and New York having a big hole on the interior, Alexander was viewed as a potential breakout candidate heading into his sophomore year.
Unfortunately, we might not get to see that out of the 26-year-old.
Alexander has had an up-and-down summer, displaying inconsistency in the preseason and clearly not doing enough to convince John Harbaugh he should get significant playing time.
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That's why the Giants went out and made a last-minute move to acquire CJ Okoye , and it's also a big reason why they moved Chauncey Golston to the trenches (although that was also simply to utilize Golston, who wouldn't see much time on the edge).
DJ Reader and Shelby Harris are the top two defensive linemen on the depth chart. Both Okoye and Golston seem to be ahead of Alexander now, as well.
Dan Duggan of The Athletic went as far to say that Alexander — as well as rookie Bobby Jamison-Travis — could be healthy scratch on gamedays this season, which would certainly be a gut punch for the former Day 2 pick.
Alexander's Giants future is absolutely in danger heading into 2026. If he is unable to get regular playing time this year with New York having so much uncertainty at defensive tackle, it's hard to imagine him ever getting on the field consistently.
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For a while, Alexander seemed like a very viable threat to start on the inside for the Giants, or to at least serve as a key rotational piece.
It's looking less and less like either of those things will happen as we inch closer and closer to Week 1.
