Any publicity is supposed to be good publicity, though whether or not New York Giants defensive lineman Darius Alexander feels that way remains to be seen.
Alexander’s name began trending among Giants fans last weekend, when he played deep into the third quarter. He was on the field for 24 snaps, only two short of the defense-leading 26 that Micah McFadden, Tyler Nubin, Deonte Banks, and Colton Hood recorded.
Then came Tuesday, when The Athletic’s Dan Duggan suggested that Chauncey Golston could begin seeing snaps at defensive end because of Alexander’s mixed summer performances. It remained unclear as of publication whether Golston would line up at defensive end in either of the two remaining preseason games.
Giants legend Carl Banks is still feeling optimistic, though, and he specifically highlighted Alexander as someone to watch against the Dolphins on Saturday night.Â
“He is a hard worker which makes it easy for this coaching staff [to] teach, correct, and continue to build him up,” Banks wrote on X/Twitter. “Alexander wants it.”
Can New York Giants defensive end Darius Alexander justify Carl Banks’ positive feedback?
Things might be different now, but back in the day, hearing about someone being a “hard worker” or someone who gave it all they had often carried a negative connotation — and sometimes through no fault of their own. Anyone who struggled in school may have received that label at some point.
Effort doesn’t seem to be Alexander’s problem, and he’s still learning a new scheme. Playing so late into a preseason game isn’t especially concerning, given how many other projected starters or expected contributors also saw significant action. Social media didn’t make a big deal about Francis Mauigoa receiving 30 offensive snaps.Â
But the one thing working against Alexander, and Joe Schoen knew this when he selected him in the third round, is his age. The former Toledo standout turns 26 next Wednesday, which is remarkably older for a second-year player. (Remember when being 26 meant you were young? Good times.)
Alexander arrived in the NFL with a relatively short window to maximize his earnings and what remained of his prime football years. So in that regard, only having 3 ½ sacks and making two starts as a rookie was somewhat disappointing. Thankfully for the Giants, it wasn’t a Brandon Weeden situation so much as it was taking a mid-round flyer on an older prospect.
Banks has done and seen enough for Giants fans to heed his wisdom. He was correct about Dexter Lawrence before the fanbase turned against the All-Pro defensive tackle, and the two-time Super Bowl champion didn’t even need to pull a “told you so” after April’s trade.
Make no mistake, though. If Alexander lives up to Banks’ expectations and soon embarks on a breakout campaign, then we’ll have no problem with the longtime Giants linebacker reminding everyone that he was right all along.
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