The Giants have a pass-rush problem that they can’t keep solving by raiding the secondary. With Abdul Carter questionable and two defensive backs already ruled out against New Orleans, the cleaner move would be to give Darius Alexander a more targeted chance inside on certain passing downs instead of immediately reaching for another blitzer.
That doesn’t mean Alexander has suddenly earned a full-time upgrade. Through four games this season, he has four tackles and no sacks, which is not the kind of production that forces a major role change. But it is enough to justify a more specific look than simply checking the stat line and moving on.
There’s at least some reason to keep digging. As a rookie, Alexander posted 3.5 sacks and six quarterback hits in 16 games, including two starts. That doesn’t make him an established force on the interior, but it does show his ability to get after the quarterback wasn’t just a pre-draft idea.
The current alignment already gives the Giants a place to test him. This year’s depth chart lists Alexander at defensive end and behind Shelby Harris at defensive tackle, and he has one start in four appearances.
So this wouldn’t be about inventing a new spot for him. It would be about assigning him a clearer job and seeing whether that role produces something more useful than a generic bump in snaps.
The appeal is straightforward on a passing down. Let Alexander work from the inside, let the edge rushers attack outside, and keep four men in the rush so the defense doesn’t have to pull another linebacker or defensive back into the pressure package. That approach preserves more bodies for coverage, which matters even more now.
Friday’s final injury report changed the math. Colton Hood and Tyler Nubin were ruled out, and Carter’s limited return still left him questionable because of a calf injury. With those absences and uncertainties, every extra rusher comes with a bigger coverage price.
Of course, none of this guarantees Alexander can win that assignment against New Orleans. The safer alternative is to keep the base group on the field or only add pressure when the situation truly calls for it.
And if Alexander can’t handle the rushing task cleanly, there’s no point forcing it. Using him inside also can’t turn into a shortcut that ignores the run.
There’s no advanced breakdown here that promises a breakout. Sacks alone don’t tell the full story anyway; they don’t show how quickly the ball came out or which blocker actually won the snap. The coaches have more information than the season totals reveal.
Still, the bottom line is simple: the current return has been limited, and the Giants need to know whether Alexander can offer more in a narrow role. Give him a defined assignment, see if he can help collapse the pocket, and keep it only if it works. That feels more productive than repeatedly asking a coverage player to manufacture the same pressure.
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John Harbaugh has made it clear this is not a one-off experiment, which matters for a team trying to squeeze value out of every part of the roster. For McCarthy, the role leaves open the question of how often those packages expand and how much of the offense the Giants are willing to shape around them as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]