NY Giants Rookie DL Darius Alexander Growing into NFL Role

With all the hype surrounding New York Giants outside linebacker Abdul Carter and quarterback Jaxson Dart, it’s sometimes easy to forget about the other members of the very promising 2025 Giants rookie draft class. 

Like defensive lineman Darius Alexander. Alexander, the team’s third-round pick out of Toledo, became something of a forgotten man because, in part, he wasn’t able to practice during the spring due to an undisclosed ailment. 

But he’s been a regular on the practice field this summer, as he looks to play catch-up on what he missed as far as the on-field work was concerned.

Alexander had a non-descript NFL debut last week in the Giants’ preseason opener against the Bills–in 22 snaps, 16 of which came on the pass rush. In those snaps, he seemed to be playing with a plan, and looked slow off the ball and getting wired to blocks. 

But according to Dexter Lawrence II, Alexander is growing into his future role as an NFL defender. 

“He's a willing learner. He's humble. I like his attitude,” Lawrence said this week. “Whatever Coach Dre (defensive line coach Andre Patterson) or I say to him, he corrects it the next day. I love the way he responds to adversity. B-Cox (assistant defensive line coach Bryan Cox) is on him hard, but he's got a good head on his shoulders, and you can see him keep growing every day.”

Lawrence has personally taken Alexander under his wing. Throughout the summer and especially during the joint practices with the Jets, Alexander was never far from Lawrence’s side, a willing recipient of the wisdom the Pro Bowl defensive tackle was dispersing.

The Giants are hoping that all pays off. For the last few years, the defensive line has been Lawrence and then everyone else. When Lawrence has been absent, either due to a rest or, as was the case last year, the up-front charge has suffered as opponents have gone straight after whoever is on the field in Lawrence’s spot.

According to TruMedia (via the Locked On Giants podcast), last season the Giants saw an increase in passes completed when Lawrence was not on the field (from 65.8% to 73.3%), as well as an increase in average passing yards per attempt (7.4 to 8.0).

Although the Giants run defense seemed to improve without Lawrence on the field (average rushing attempt with him was 5.3 yards per carry versus 4.0 yards per carry without him), that was largely due to the Giants adding more guys up front to compensate for the loss of Lawrence, who suffered a season-ending dislocated elbow injury in the team’s Thanksgiving loss to the Dallas Cowboys. 

Alexander’s development could go a long way toward giving the Giants a solid two-man punch that they haven’t had since Leonard Williams and Lawrence were on the defensive front line. It’s been a process, but the rookie is slowly heading in the right direction.

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