ESPN names Darius Alexander as breakout candidate
Training camp officially kicks off next week, which means the predictions for the 2026 season are beginning to roll in.
ESPN's Ben Solak recently named a 2026 breakout candidate for every team across the NFL. When it came to the Giants, he went with defensive lineman Darius Alexander.
"Alexander started his college career on the offensive line, so he was always projected for more 2026 impact than 2025," Solak wrote. "Still, he had three sacks and three tackles for loss over the last six games of his rookie season."
After totaling just a half-sack over his first 10 NFL games, Alexander picked things up in the latter part of his rookie campaign.
Over the final six contests, the 6-foot-4, 310-pound lineman registered three sacks and had three games with 3+ total tackles, something he did not do once from Weeks 2-11. During that same span, the lineman recorded eight pressures, which topped his pressure total from the first 10 games (seven), according to Pro Football Focus.
It wasn't until the season finale that Alexander played more than 58 percent of the team's defensive snaps in a game. He was on the field for 80 percent of the snaps in the Week 18 matchup against the Cowboys, which led to him having a season-high four tackles.
With Dexter Lawrence now in Cincinnati, the Giants will need Alexander, along with veterans DJ Reader and Shelby Harris, to step up in the middle of the defensive line.
"It's important to say that Alexander is not a Lawrence replacement at all," wrote the ESPN analyst. "Lawrence is a squatty nose tackle with run-stopping prowess; Alexander is long and linear and wants to play upfield. Reader and Shelby Harris will do more of the yeoman's work on early downs, but Alexander is an important player in pass-rush situations."
View photos of the New York Giants' 2026 roster as it currently stands.
CB Paulson Adebo
DL Darius Alexander
CB Deonte Banks
LB Zaire Barnes
WR Odell Beckham Jr.
OLB Brian Burns
DB Elijah Campbell
OLB Abdul Carter
QB Jaxson Dart
OL J.C. Davis
LB Tremaine Edmunds
OL Jermaine Eluemunor
TE Thomas Fidone II
WR Malachi Fields
DL Chauncey Golston
RB Najee Harris
DL Shelby Harris
S Jevón Holland
CB Colton Hood
OL Bryan Hudson
DL Bobby Jamison-Travis
TE Theo Johnson
CB Nic Jones
LB Jack Kelly
TE Isaiah Likely
TE Chris Manhertz
LS Ben Mann
OL Francis Mauigoa
OL Marcus Mbow
ILB Micah McFadden
WR Darnell Mooney
WR Malik Nabers
CB Greg Newsome II
S Tyler Nubin
DL C.J. Okoye
CB Dru Phillips
S Jason Pinnock
DL DJ Reader
LB Arvell Reese
FB Patrick Ricard
G Jon Runyan Jr.
C John Michael Schmitz Jr.
RB Devin Singletary
RB Cam Skattebo
WR Darius Slayton
G Aaron Stinnie
P Jordan Stout
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux
T Andrew Thomas
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.
S Ar'Darius Washington
QB Jameis Winston
K Dominic Zvada
Get ready for the 2026 season with photos from Media Day at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
OLB Abdul Carter (3)
LB Arvell Reese (52)
TE Isaiah Likely (9)
OL Francis Mauigoa (65)
S Jevón Holland (8)
LB Tremaine Edmunds (49)
OLB Brian Burns (0)
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
WR Darnell Mooney (17)
CB Paulson Adebo (21)
TE Theo Johnson (84)
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
WR Malachi Fields (0)
DT Darius Alexander (91)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
OLB Brian Burns (0)
OLB Abdul Carter (3)
OLB Brian Burns (0)
OLB Brian Burns (0)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
OLB Brian Burns (0)
WR Darnell Mooney (17)
S Tyler Nubin (27)
WR Darnell Mooney (17)
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
OLB Brian Burns (0)
OLB Abdul Carter (3)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
OLB Brian Burns (0)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
RB Cam Skattebo (44)
WR Malachi Fields (0)
CB Dru Phillips (22)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
CB Dru Phillips (22)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
RB Cam Skattebo (44)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
RB Cam Skattebo (44)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
RB Cam Skattebo (44)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
RB Cam Skattebo (44)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
LB Tremaine Edmunds (49)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
OL Francis Mauigoa (65)
T Andrew Thomas (78)
LB Tremaine Edmunds (49)
S Tyler Nubin (27)
TE Isaiah Likely (9)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
S Tyler Nubin (27)
S Tyler Nubin (27)
S Tyler Nubin (27)
CB Deonte Banks (2)
S Jason Pinnock (25)
TE Theo Johnson (84)
TE Theo Johnson (84)
TE Isaiah Likely (9)
LB Jack Kelly (51)
TE Theo Johnson (84)
TE Isaiah Likely (9)
TE Isaiah Likely (9)
LB Arvell Reese (52)
TE Isaiah Likely (9)
LB Tremaine Edmunds (49)
T Jermaine Eluemunor (72)
T Jermaine Eluemunor (72)
DT Darius Alexander (91)
WR Malachi Fields (0)
LB Arvell Reese (52)
WR Malachi Fields (0)
WR Malachi Fields (0)
OL Francis Mauigoa (65)
LB Jack Kelly (51)
OL Francis Mauigoa (65)
LB Arvell Reese (52)
LB Arvell Reese (52)
DT Darius Alexander (91)
DT Darius Alexander (91)
DT Darius Alexander (91)
OL Francis Mauigoa (65)
OL Francis Mauigoa (65)
OL Francis Mauigoa (65)
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