The New York Giants are betting big on second-year defensive tackle Darius Alexander. After the Toledo product spent most of his rookie season marinating on the sidelines, New York's decision to trade Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals has put the young athletic bundle of traits in an opportunity to assert himself as a starter.
ESPN's Ben Solak tabbed Alexander as the biggest breakout candidate ahead of the 2026 season. Knowing that Alexander started his college career as an offensive lineman, Solak was willing to give him a good chunk of grace after a suspect rookie year before expecting a step forward in 2026.
The Giants are seemingly preparing for Alexander to not be an amazing run defender, as they will try to replace Lawrence's skill in this area in the aggregate by adding DJ Reader and Shelby Harris. With those two doing the grunt work on the interior, Alexander and his quick first step could be enough to improve on an interior pass rush that fell off a cliff when Lawrence regressed last year.
Giants DT Darius Alexander named breakout candidate for 2026 season
Alexander didn't set the world on fire, as his 42.9 PFF grade ranked 121st out of 134 defensive tackles, and his 30.3 run defense grade was even less impressive at 130th overall. Even with those very concerning stats at his back, there are plenty of reasons to believe that 2026 is going to be more representative of the type of player he is.
First, going from Shane Bowen to Dennard Wilson as defensive coordinator could put Alexander in more favorable positions. Defensive linemen can often struggle as rookies, as they need a year to adjust to the physicality and athleticism of the NFL. John Harbaugh's history of developing defensive linemen has to appeal to Alexander.
Alexander did manage to pile up 15 pressures and 3.5 sacks in his limited playing time, suggesting that his pass rush gifts might be enough to ward off any thoughts of him potentially sacrificing snaps due to poor run defense. Going from Toledo to the NFL is a tough adjustment, and last year's learning experience could be a major benefit.
Alexander is not going to make-or-break this defense as a unit, but he could be what takes them from good to great if he ends up looking like the NFL Draft steal many thought he would be when he was selected.
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