The New York Giants effectively picked Darius Alexander, a gifted protective lineman from Toledo, with the 65th general choice throughout the 3rd round of the 2025 NFL Draft. This tactical option highlights the Giants’ pushing requirement for a vibrant and permeating protective lineman who can display excellent speed off the breeze, eventually challenging offending line angles and serving as a substantial disruptor. The trade of Leonard Williams highlighted the requirement for a capable replacement, and Alexander has the prospective to master all 3 downs, making him an important property for the group’s protective method.

During his last 2 seasons at Toledo, Alexander made a considerable effect, taping an excellent overall of 81 pressures and 50 STOPs. However, he dealt with some difficulties, missing out on 12.9% of his takes on within Vince Kehres’ defense. His flexibility appeared as he regularly lined up throughout the protective front and carried out stunts (exchanging spaces) at the line of skirmish. Alexander regularly used his explosive primary step, matched by a capability to slant efficiently, enabling him to interrupt plays and develop chances for his colleagues.

Recognized for his exceptional athleticism, Alexander made an area on Bruce Feldman’s sought after yearly Freaks List in 2024, as highlighted by The Athletic. Feldman’s analysis kept in mind that Alexander benched an excellent 400 pounds, showed amazing speed of 20 miles per hour, and attained a vertical leap going beyond 30 inches. His leading play speed taped in 2024 reached a thrilling 17.7 MILES PER HOUR. Below, you will discover his screening outcomes and important measurables from the prominent 2025 NFL Combine:

The following lays out both the strengths and weak points of Darius Alexander, in addition to a YouTube video that supplies a thorough breakdown of his gameplay and abilities.

Key Strengths of Darius Alexander

• Outstanding athleticism integrated with a well-rounded frame and long arms that improve his efficiency on the field.
• Explosive gamer showing strong footwork and extraordinary switch, making him a hazard to offending gamers.
• Quickness off the line is significant, specifically when he times the breeze efficiently, enabling him to acquire a benefit.
• Possesses outstanding lateral dexterity, allowing him to step outdoors his frame and rapidly leap within throughout individually scenarios.
• Displays a quality initially 3 actions when permeating the line, showcasing his capability to interrupt plays early.
• Maintains a strong center of mass when shooting spaces, which is essential for efficient taking on.
• Demonstrates the capability to dip his shoulder, bend, and present his numbers square to running backs when inclining.
• Recognized as an outstanding run protector in individually scenarios, showcasing raw power that makes him powerful.
• Possesses a gravitational pull around him as a run protector, skilled at discovering methods to confine running backs when taken part in a block.
• Effectively slides around blocks and finds the ball provider well, showcasing his eager awareness on the field.
• Utilizes fast and effective hands as a pass rush, showing what can be referred to as violent mitts.
• His hands bring substantial pop upon contact, making him a tough challenger for offending linemen.
• Quickly sheds blocks at the point of attack on the line of skirmish, enabling him to stay taken part in the play.
• Exhibits strong hands that allow him to disengage efficiently while rapidly finding the ball provider.
• Shows efficiency in working down the line of skirmish in pursuit, making him an important behind protector.
• Overall strength and force into contact are extraordinary, improving his efficiency in protective plans.
• Possesses a strong upper body when hurrying, adding to his capability to subdue blockers.
• Effectively integrates push-pull, swim, and spin relocations with amazing speed when the breeze is timed well.
• Demonstrates flashes of speed to power conversion, showcasing his flexibility as a pass rush.
• Can create interior pressure utilizing both skill and power relocations, making him unforeseeable on the field.
• Exhibits great awareness and psychological processing, which are important for making split-second choices throughout plays.
• If stopped as a pass rush, he rapidly raises his hands to interrupt passing lanes.
• Noteworthy interception as a spy throughout a video game, showcasing his impulses and playmaking capability (Q4 8:01 3rd & 6 vs. Pitt).
• Demonstrates elite competitive durability, regularly hustling and keeping high energy throughout video games.
• Despite originating from a smaller sized school, his excellent efficiency throughout the 2024 seasons versus Mississippi State and Pitt has actually amassed attention.
• Versatile gamer efficient in carrying out throughout the protective line, improving his worth to the group.

Identifying Areas for Improvement in Darius Alexander

• Needs to deal with keeping a lower pad level to improve his efficiency and prevent being pressed back.
• Sometimes does not optimize his length efficiently, which might limit his capability to engage blockers.
• Inconsistent timing of the breeze can impede his capability to take advantage of helpful scenarios.
• Could enhance his locking out strategy versus the run, enabling him to much better endure offending linemen.
• Has skilled difficulties versus down obstructs in the running video game, especially due to his slanting protective design.
• Must improve his anchoring capability versus double-teams to prevent being subdued at the line of skirmish.
• His background from a smaller sized school might provide predispositions versus him, affecting understandings throughout examinations.
• As an older possibility, he will be 25 throughout the season, which might raise concerns about his long-lasting capacity.