Back in April, the New York Giants thought they were finally solving the “who’s going to help out Dexter Lawrence” problem by drafting Toledo standout Darius Alexander. And through 11 games, things haven’t exactly worked out how either party would’ve hoped.
It’s been a disappointing start to the third-rounder’s young career. As of now, the No. 65 overall pick looks like yet another indictment of general manager Joe Schoen. Funny enough, Alexander was the first time Schoen used a top-three-round pick on a non-Power Five player.
The 25-year-old has struggled to get on the field — and when he does, it couldn’t get much worse. According to Pro Football Focus, the 6-foot-4, 310-pounder has played 197 snaps and earned a 39.3 overall grade, ranking 119th out of 124 eligible players. Among the 16 rookie defensive linemen drafted in 2025, he ranks 15th.
So much for getting Sexy Dexy the interior help he needs. But help could be on the way.
In Mike Renner’s latest 2026 mock draft for CBS Sports, the G-Men dip back into the Clemson draft pool — it’s worked before — and pair Big Dex with defensive lineman Peter Woods.
Giants give defense much-needed boost by drafting Clemson DL Peter Woods in 2026 mock draft
Renner has Big Blue taking the junior with the second overall pick. It’s a high draft choice, and one the Giants can’t afford to screw up. Whether Schoen’s the one making it remains to be seen, but his spotty draft history and struggles with top picks are tough to ignore.
Related: Giants are now uncomfortably close to a draft pick too big for Joe Schoen
The Giants already have one of the better pass rushes in the league (in theory), but stopping the run has been a different story.
That’s where Woods could really help. He’s a strong, sturdy 3-technique who would bring some real power to the middle of the line. Put him next to Dexy, and suddenly the G-Men could have one of the best defensive fronts in the league. It's giving Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, and Justin Tuck.
Woods still has some stuff to clean up — mostly with his hands and pad level — but he holds his ground and knows how to cause problems in the backfield. Even if he’s not racking up sacks right away, he’d still be doing the dirty work the Giants have been missing up front.
Since the Darius Alexander pick hasn't panned out the way they hoped, doubling back and taking a proven run-stopper like Woods would be a good move. He’d give the defense a needed boost and take some pressure off the edge rushers and Lawrence to do everything on their own.