Oi. Just when you thought Darius Alexander was going to parlay his strong offseason into a standout preseason opener, the New York Giants' second-year defensive lineman came out with a dud.
Yes, the soon-to-be 26-year-old came away with Big Blue's only sack of the day -- burying Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy for a four-yard loss -- but he played the entire first half and didn't leave until late in the third quarter. That’s unusual for guys presumed to be starters, and it raises some obvious questions about just how secure his spot actually is. Why was he still out there so late in the game?
His advanced stats won’t help his case, either. Alexander posted a 51.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus over 24 snaps, including an abysmal 43.8 run-defense grade and a solid 67.4 pass-rushing grade. Suddenly, his grasp on the starting role doesn’t feel quite as secure.
That's a far cry from the guy being tabbed as Big Blue's next breakout candidate in 2026.
He couldn't have picked a worse time to fall flat on his face, with recently signed Josh Tupou breathing down his neck and putting together one of the more impressive performances of an otherwise forgettable preseason opener.
Darius Alexander suddenly has an unexpected Josh Tupou problem
I'll come out and say it: I might have been too quick to pick on Tupou when he signed with the G-Men earlier in the offseason. I made a snarky remark about how 2019 called and wanted its defensive lineman back. No one's getting carried away and claiming him the savior of the defensive line after one preseason game, but the early returns are promising.
The 32-year-old journeyman played 21 total snaps, finishing with an 89.5 PFF grade, including a 70.2 run-defense grade and a 91.5 pass-rushing grade. It's a teeny-tiny sample size for sure, but he outpaced Alexander by a country mile.
When New York's initial depth chart came out, Alexander was listed on the first team, along with DJ Reader and Shelby Harris. Tupou surprisingly -- well, maybe not anymore -- made the second string and may want to have a word with the former Toledo standout about his status as the starter.
At this point, I'm not sure any Giants fan is going to feel overly comfortable entering the season with either of them as the starter. Alexander's struggles against the run are glaring, while Tupou hasn't played consistently well since before COVID -- one preseason game isn't going to magically change his outlook.
General manager Joe Schoen didn't call anyone out by name after the game, but he did acknowledge that the defensive line room is still very much fluid, saying, “That’s going to be a position we’re going to continue to look for and see if we can upgrade moving throughout the final countdown.”
Their next chance to change that conversation comes Saturday against the Miami Dolphins.
If the countdown is indeed on, Alexander is running out of room for error. The Giants wanted a breakout star to anchor their defensive front in the post-Dexter Lawrence era, but right now, they’re staring down a choice between a sophomore who still has plenty to prove against the run and a vet whose best tape is half a decade old. That’s what you call a gamble.
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