The New York Giants made several big moves this offseason. They retooled their secondary with Paulson Adebo and Jevon Holland. They added Chauncey Golston to beef up the front seven. It finally felt like the defense was getting the attention it desperately needed.
But not every move is aging gracefully.
Roy Robertson-Harris, one of the Giants’ early free agent signings, might already find himself on the roster bubble just two months after putting pen to paper. And it’s all thanks to what New York did during the 2025 NFL Draft.
With the 65th pick the Giants snagged Darius Alexander, the versatile, athletic defensive tackle out of Toledo. He joins a suddenly loaded defensive line rotation headlined by Dexter Lawrence, and rounded out by veterans like Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Jeremiah Ledbetter, and, for now, Robertson-Harris.
Toledo’s Darius Alexander is worthy of a first round selection🚀 pic.twitter.com/zPvPoTDYY8
— PFF College (@PFF_College) March 22, 2025
Giants' Darius Alexander pick puts Roy Robertson-Harris firmly on the hot seat
The Giants signed Robertson-Harris to a two-year, $10 million deal early in free agency—a move that raised a few eyebrows at the time. Day 1 of the signing window isn’t typically when you throw money at aging depth players, but Joe Schoen wanted to shore up the DT room behind Lawrence and Nunez-Roches.
Now, after drafting Alexander, the writing might already be on the wall.
Alexander wasn’t some random dart throw. He’s a legitimate player—an absolute unit at 6-foot-4, 305 pounds, with elite athleticism for his size. He’s the kind of interior presence who can disrupt plays in one-on-one situations. At Toledo, he flashed consistently, earning high marks across the board. His addition upgrades a defensive line that needed more youth and upside.
Meanwhile, Robertson-Harris’ recent numbers paint a bleak picture. According to Pro Football Focus, he finished the 2024 season with an overall grade of 52.8, ranking 132nd out of 219 interior defenders. His pass-rushing grade (54.6) and run-defense grade (56.6) weren’t much better. For a team trying to turn the corner defensively, that’s simply not good enough.
The Giants' defense needed to get younger, faster, and more disruptive. They needed to rebuild that old-school “beat you up at the line of scrimmage” identity that won them Super Bowls with the likes of Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, and Justin Tuck. No one is saying Alexander will be the next Strahan, but pairing him with Lawrence inside gives New York its most promising interior combo in years.
And it might cost Robertson-Harris his job.
Financially, it wouldn’t be shocking either. Cutting Robertson-Harris would open up valuable cap space, and given the Giants’ other needs still lingering (hello, offensive line), that money could be put to better use elsewhere. If the Giants cut him post-June 1, they would save about $2.1 million on their 2025 books per Over the Cap.
It’s a harsh reality of the NFL. Robertson-Harris barely got unpacked, and yet, thanks to one smart third-round pick, he could be packing up again before September.