Darius Alexander’s name popped up in a place the Giants probably didn’t want it: the Week 2 inactive list.
He wasn’t on the injury report, and he also wasn’t listed there in the opener. This time, though, the second-year defensive lineman was a healthy scratch again, only the second of his career.
The first came in Week 1 of his rookie season, after a rough offseason. At this point, the 2025 third-round pick’s run in New York looks shaky, and one more coaching call could be the last one that matters.
The warning signs have been building since the summer. Alexander has been pushed behind the Giants’ veterans, with Chauncey Golston, D.J.
Reader and Shelby Harris all ahead of him. Even late-summer pickup CJ Okoye and fellow John Harbaugh recruit Josh Tupou have climbed into the preferred rotation.
That leaves the Giants with a question they may not love answering, but may need to: what’s next for a player they invested in fairly heavily?
A clean break would sting, but it could make sense for both sides. If New York decides to move on, four teams stand out as realistic landing spots.
Chicago is the first obvious fit. The Bears just hung 59 points on the board to open 2026, but their defense up front needs help badly.
They’re tied for third-most yards before contact allowed per running back carry at 2.5, sit second-to-last in stuff rate at 4.5 percent, and rank in the bottom 10 in rushing yards allowed per game at 122 and yards per attempt at 4.9. Their August decision to deal Gervon Dexter Sr. to the Atlanta Falcons has not aged well, especially with the interior pass rush now looking thin.
Alexander at least offers length and some pass-rushing ability that could help fill that gap.
Miami is in even rougher shape. Through two games, the Dolphins’ 10.7 percent pressure rate per opponent dropback is dead last by a wide margin.
For comparison, Chicago sits 31st at 23.9 percent. The Dolphins have blitzed at the league’s fourth-highest rate, 44.6 percent, and still have nothing to show for it in the sack column.
Every other team has at least one. Alexander wouldn’t walk in as a cure-all, but he does profile as a low-risk, medium-reward reclamation project for a rebuilding team.
Behind Zach Sieler, Miami’s unheralded sophomore trio of Jordan Phillips, Zeek Biggers and Keith Cooper Jr. has not done much to stabilize the group.
Tampa Bay also belongs on the list. The Buccaneers could use help in the middle of the defensive line, especially with Vita Vea aging and Calijah Kancey still trying to get back to his pre-injury form after tearing his pec last September. Alexander would be a worthwhile swing for a unit that could use youth and a fresh jolt in the trenches.
Then there’s the Chargers, who suddenly have a Dalvin Tomlinson-sized problem. The Giants’ 2017 second-round pick went down with a hamstring injury in Los Angeles’ 26-14 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders and is expected to “miss time.”
Tomlinson signed a one-year deal in March, so the Chargers have both a short-term hole and a future question at the position. Behind him and Teair Tart, the depth chart is thin, which makes Alexander a sensible stopgap with some developmental upside.
In Other News...
Eli Manning's Reaction Said Everything About The Giants' Jaxson Dart Worry
Jaxson Darts knee injury put the Giants in a tricky spot, but it was Eli Mannings reaction on ESPNs ManningCast that underscored just how uneasy the moment was. As the replay rolled during the Monday night game, Manning responded with visible concern, a reminder that this is not just another quarterback injury for a franchise still trying to settle its long-term direction. Dart, the former Ole Miss star who also spent time with the Giants, is now expected to miss 2-4 weeks.
The next few games will force the Giants and head coach John Harbaugh to make some decisions they probably hoped to avoid this early. Jameis Winston stepped in after Dart went down, finishing 11 of 27 for 111 yards and an interception, and the production only sharpened the questions around what the offense looks like while Dart is out. For a team already sorting through its quarterback picture, the timing of the injury makes the coming stretch especially uncomfortable. [Read more 🡒]
Giants May Already Be Avoiding An Early Draft Regret Conversation
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What makes the exercise even more interesting is the ripple effect from the rest of the board. The Giants also kicked around names like Jordyn Tyson, Carnell Tate, Mansoor Delane and Jeremiyah Love, each of whom has his own current status and early performance to track as the season unfolds. That kind of backdrop is exactly why draft regrets are so slippery in September and beyond, because the story is rarely just about who was taken, but about who else was available and how the rest of the class develops from here. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Bring Back A Familiar Name As Defensive Line Depth Shifts
The Giants continued to shuffle the bottom of their roster by making a pair of practice-squad moves, bringing back offensive tackle Ryan Schernecke and defensive tackle C.J. Ravenall while moving on from center Kingsley Eguakun and defensive back Elijah Jones. It is the kind of early-season roster housekeeping that can fly under the radar, but for a team that is always trying to keep enough bodies available at the line of scrimmage, those spots can matter quickly.
Ravenall is the more interesting return, since he had already been claimed off waivers by the Giants before getting waived with a non-football injury designation. The team also took a look at another veteran option on the interior, hosting defensive tackle Dean Lowry for a visit as it continues to sort through its depth up front and figure out which familiar names might still fit into the picture. [Read more 🡒]