New York Giants' Forgotten Defender Could Be Massive X-Factor

The New York Giants have completely overhauled their defensive tackle room this offseason, trading away Dexter Lawrence and adding a couple of seasoned veterans in DJ Reader and Shelby Harris. They also selected Bobby Jamison-Travis in the sixth round of the NFL Draft.

How things shape up for the Giants on the interior remains to be seen, but John Harbaugh and Joe Schoen made sure to bring in a few run defenders to shore up what was a horrendous run-defending unit in 2025.

But while the focus is on the two new vets and Jamison-Travis, many fans are forgetting about another body at the position: Darius Alexander.

New York selected Alexander in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and at the time, it was viewed as a good pick. He flashed tremendous potential as a run stuffer at Toledo, and he even displayed some pass-rushing ability.

Unfortunately, Alexander's rookie campaign did not go according to plan. He closed the season strong, logging three sacks over the final six games, but overall, he was a major disappointment in Year 1.

The 25-year-old finished with 20 tackles and 3.5 sacks during his debut season, posting a paltry 42.9 overall grade at Pro Football Focus. That ranked 121st out of 134 interior defensive linemen.

Now, to be fair, Alexander was thrust into a significant role right off the bat, one he clearly wasn't ready for. The Giants had limited defensive tackle depth behind Lawrence in 2025, so Alexander was forced to play more snaps than necessary.

That won't be the case this year with both Reader and Harris in tow, and Jamison-Travis stands to get some playing time, as well.

Many are down on Alexander at this point following his rough rookie showing, but the lack of pressure on him heading into his sophomore season is exactly why he could end up being a massive X-factor for this defense.

New York will surely roll with some sort of rotation on the interior, and while Alexander probably won't get as much burn as last year, he will play enough to make an impact, and it will be in more opportune moments.

The 6-foot-4, 310-pound lineman will also be fresher, which will allow him to go full throttle a bit more on downs in which he is actually on the field.

It helps that the Giants have a pretty loaded front seven rotation that includes Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Tremaine Edmunds, Kayvon Thibodeaux and rookie Arvell Reese, so that should make Alexander's job considerably easier, as well.

Alexander definitely has potential. He is big enough to stop the run, and he is athletic enough to be a force as a pass rusher. Is he ever going to be a No. 1 defensive tackle? No, but there is no reason why he can't be an impactful rotation player.

It will be interesting to see how New York employs Alexander in training camp. He could develop into a hidden gem for the squad.

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