Dec 30, 2023; Tucson, AZ, USA; Toledo Rockets defensive tackle Darius Alexander (9) against the Wyoming Cowboys in the Arizona Bowl at Arizona Stadium. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

New York Giants Draft Prospect: DL Darius Alexander, Toledo

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Patricia Traina | Last updated Jan 14, 2025 10:00 AM ET

Welcome to our New York Giants draft prospect profiles. Every day, we'll have a profile of a draft prospect in different positions whose skill set could fit what the Giants are looking for.

Darius Alexander, DL

Height: 6'4"
Weight: 310 lbs.
Class: RS-Senior
School: Toledo
College Stats

An under-recruited interior defensive lineman out of Wayne High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in the 2019 cycle. Alexander red shirt in his first season and played in 58 games over the following five seasons. He earned Third-Team All-MAC in 2023 and First-Team in 2024.

Alexander recorded 81 pressures over his final two seasons at Toledo with 50 STOPs over that same span. He missed 12.9% of his tackles in Vince Kehres’ defense. Alexander aligned all across the defensive front and frequently stunted (exchanged gaps) at the line of scrimmage; he constantly slanted and utilized his quick explosive first step.

Alexander made Bruce Feldman’s annual Freaks List (The Athletic) in 2024. According to Feldman, Alexander benched 400 pounds and clocked 20 miles per hour with over a 30-inch vertical. Alexander’s top play speed in 2024 was 17.7 MPH. He will be in attendance at the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Summary

Darius Alexander is an excellent small-school prospect who could shoot up the draft boards with a quality Reese’s Senior Bowl event. His violent hands will allow him to quickly shed blocks at the point of attack while doing an excellent job locating the running back at the line of scrimmage.

Alexander is good in pursuit down the line of scrimmage and his quickness allows him to penetrate easily while slanting.

He is efficient with his hands and flashed speed to power as a rusher. He could earn snaps as a third-down rusher and can play across the line of scrimmage. He’s a strong player, albeit his upper-body strength is more of an asset than his lower body.

Alexander is a good run defender, but his pad level led to struggles against double teams. Overall, his floor is a quality depth piece with upside in year one. With the correct coaching in the right scheme, he could develop into a penetrating starter. He may be a value in the draft on day three.

GRADE: 6.29