John Harbaugh’s “meritocracy” is real for the New York Giants, and it’s helping a 300-pound NFL draft flop earn a niche role in clutch situations.
The Giants have finally found a way to use a top-65 pick. A disappointing player who had been inactive for one game and failed to register a statistic in two others earlier this season.
That was then, but defensive tackle Darius Alexander has been enjoying a quiet, mini revival since. He’s gotten onto the field more often during the win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4, as well as last week’s 27-27 tie with the Washington Commanders.
Alexander is getting work and making an impression because the Giants have streamlined his assignment. Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson have formulated a usage plan designed to maximize the one thing the 2025 NFL draft third-round pick can do well.
He’s now helping Wilson’s increasingly pressure-heavy defense work when it counts.
Darius Alexander Has Merit in Niche Role
Wilson called out Alexander during the offseason. The new DC challenged big No. 91 to be a tougher mauler against the run, but Alexander’s no road-grader.
The former Toledo stud is a more active interior pass-rusher. Rushing quarterbacks from the inside is just what Alexander’s being asked to do in the Giants’ developing, third-down defense.
His new assignment was noticeable against the Commanders, when “Alexander and defensive end Jihad Ward were New York’s interior rushers on most passing downs,” per Dan Duggan of The Athletic.
Alexander played 53 percent of the Giants’ defensive snaps, 33 in total, according to Pro Football Reference. Those snaps followed the 36 Alexander played against the Cards the week before.
These workloads represent quite the turnaround after Alexander didn’t even make the active roster against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2. Few could argue with him being a healthy scratch at the time, with Sports Illustrated’s Patricia Traina calling Alexander’s demotion “not much of a surprise. He hasn’t been good against the run at all so far this season and has struggled with getting cleanly off his blocks.”
Harbaugh had warned Alexander to develop unfashionable parts of his game. It appeared as though Alexander wasn’t heeding the warning.
Duggan reminded everyone that Alexander’s absence was simply proof of the Giants’ new “#meritocracy” on Harbaugh’s watch.
Harbaugh put merit at the forefront of his Giants rebuild when he told reporters in August, “We say football is the true meritocracy.” The 64-year-old former Super Bowl-winning head coach of the Baltimore Ravens explained, “The best player is the player that plays the best.”
Alexander’s proving he’s one of the best options for a third-down defense evolving in aggressively, creative ways.
Dennard Wilson Is Changing Giants’ Defense
Starting against the Cardinals, Wilson has pushed the blitz button early and often. He “blitzed on 51.3 percent of the Cardinals’ dropbacks compared to a 22.1 percent blitz rate in the first three games,” per Duggan.
Wilson kept the pressure on against the Commanders, when “He lived in Cover-0 looks, with seven players on the line of scrimmage. He sent seven rushers on 10 percent of the Commanders’ dropbacks and six rushers on 13 percent of their dropbacks.”
The blitz-heavy plan requires getting the Giants’ best pass-rushers onto the field. That’s been a challenge after three-time Pro Bowler Brian Burns suffered a devastating knee injury, and versatile edge Chauncey Golston landed on injured reserve with a neck problem.
Injuries have created an opportunity for Alexander’s niche skill. He’s not getting sacks yet, but the 26-year-old’s still disrupting protection.
Alexander proved an asset when he pushed Commanders’ right guard Sam Cosmi (76) backwards and created a free rush lane for rookie linebacker Arvell Reese to blitz against a running back, per NYGfaninCLT.
The play ended with a sack by slot cornerback Dru Phillips, but the pocket collapsed because of the mismatches the Giants’ pressure front created in protection.
If Alexander continues pushing the pocket like this in obvious passing situations, he’ll show enough merit to earn even more snaps moving forward.
Giants’ Draft Flop Finally Has Niche Role in John Harbaugh’s ‘Meritocracy’