The New York Giants may have opened the preseason with a 34–25 win over the Buffalo Bills, but not every storyline was celebratory.
Third-round pick Darius Alexander, a defensive tackle out of Toledo, is still working to find his footing at the NFL level.
A summer slowed by injuries
Alexander’s development has been slowed by injuries that cost him a significant portion of the offseason program.
That time missed has left him playing catch-up, with live game reps now serving as his primary classroom.
At Toledo, Alexander was a force, logging 630 snaps and producing 37 pressures with four sacks against smaller, less-polished offensive lines.
But the NFL has been a different beast entirely, with every rep feeling like a high-speed chess match against elite athletes.
Limited impact in his preseason debut
Against the Bills, Alexander logged a healthy share of snaps but came away without a single tackle to his name.
The lack of statistical impact wasn’t just bad luck — the film revealed a player lacking explosion and upper-body pop at the point of attack.
It’s possible the injuries have left him a step slow and short on conditioning, affecting his ability to generate leverage and drive.
That said, he did notch a sack during Tuesday’s joint practice with the New York Jets, a small but positive sign of progress.
The uphill battle for a bigger role
Right now, Roy Robertson-Harris appears firmly in control of the second defensive tackle spot alongside the starters.
Alexander’s path to meaningful snaps will require a noticeable jump in both quickness off the snap and raw strength inside.
The Giants don’t necessarily need him to be an instant-impact player — they drafted him with the long view in mind.
With a strong rotation that also features Abdul Carter’s versatility as a pass-rushing threat from multiple alignments, they can afford patience.
Why the Giants can wait
The coaching staff knows rookie defensive tackles often take a season to adjust to NFL power, speed, and hand usage.
Alexander’s college tape showed a disruptive player with the ability to collapse pockets, but he’s still adapting to stronger, faster competition.
In many ways, his rookie year could be about absorbing the playbook, refining technique, and building the kind of strength that translates on Sundays.
For now, the Giants simply want to see flashes — bursts of disruption that hint at the ceiling they saw on draft night.
- Giants’ former top-5 pass-rusher is under pressure to perform after bye week
- Giants’ Jaxson Dart is playing a terrifying game
- Giants trade down but still land dynamic playmaker in latest 2026 mock draft
The next steps in his development
If Alexander can turn practice progress into preseason production, he’ll make a stronger case for rotational snaps by midseason.
Until then, his focus will be on regaining peak fitness, sharpening his hands, and learning from the veterans ahead of him.
The tools that made him a standout at Toledo haven’t disappeared — they just need the right refinement to shine in the NFL.
More about: New York Giants
