Scouting Reports - DT Darius Alexander and videos

MightyGiants · April 25, 2025, 09:32:57 PM

McGinn

Darius Alexander, Toledo (6-4, 305, 5.01)

Said one scout: "Kind of reminds me of Montravius Adams coming out of Auburn (in 2017). He's big, but he doesn't play that big. More of a guy that gets on an edge and gets upfield. Doesn't have a ton of substance setting edges and two-gapping but he is instinctive and plays hard. When you have guys like that they kind of find their way on the field. I wouldn't be surprised to see him second or third round."

NFL,com

By Lance Zierlein
NFL Analyst
Draft Projection
Round 2
Overview
Interior lineman with the size, length and physicality for consideration in odd or even fronts. Alexander is capable of destroying blocks, but he needs to do a better job of balancing his force to control the action at the point of attack. He can hold his ground when he's staying low, but the pad level is inconsistent and causes his gap constriction to be hit-or-miss. Alexander has above-average rush acumen. He does a nice job of utilizing his traits and crafting a plan of attack. His best football could be ahead of him, but for now, he projects as an average rotational player or backup.

Strengths
Possesses coveted length with three-down skill set.
Comes off the ball with good bend and force into first contact.
Batters blocker with heavy hands and long arms.
Capable slide-and-swim move to force whiffs.
Rushes with a game plan to set up his moves and counters.
Uses arm extension to generate push and separation with his rush.
Fairly instinctive rush counters fueled by active hands.

Weaknesses
Easily displaced when pad level starts to drift up high.
Somewhat sluggish with his short-area footwork.
Gets caught fighting blocker instead of finding the runner.
Average first-step quickness into the neutral zone as a pass rusher.
Doesn't get from Point A to Point B quickly in twist games.
Below-average bend with his rush allows him to be redirected.

Cossell

COLLEGIATE PROSPECT EVALUATION SHEET (LR)
NAME/YEAR: DARIUS ALEXANDER POSITION: DT COLLEGE: TOLEDO
HEIGHT: 6' 4" WEIGHT: 310 NOTES: 2nd – 3rd ROUND
#9/98 2022-2024: Several Games across his last 3 seasons
STRENGTHS:
• Scheme and Front versa�lity in playing from mul�ple alignments in 3-man, 4-man and 5-man Defensive Fronts
• Good use of hands and arm extension at point of contact to keep head out of blocks to allow him to read and
react quickly – good job of working off blocks and defending the run (disrup�ve run defender)
• Good athle�cism and quickness for a player his size shown in his ability to accelerate and close on the ball
• Very ac�ve and strong hands at point of contact to allow him to control and disengage from blockers – possesses
good secondary pass rush ability with swim, rip and swipe pass rush moves
• Strong anchor displayed at point of atack in run game to hold his ground vs double teams – stout run defender
• Keeps head out of blocks to see the QB and react to throws to get his hands into passing lanes (bated passes)
• Quick first step to atack gaps as penetrator disrup�ng run game �ming and pressuring QB (solid first step)
• Good lateral movement when stun�ng/slan�ng at the snap to allow him to penetrate and run down the ball
WEAKNESSES:
• Tendency to play high at point of contact at �mes as pass rusher affec�ng his ability generate push/pressure
• Good first step, but effec�veness drops when he is engaged quickly with quick set or slide protec�on
• Stamina and condi�oning concerns with him being a rota�onal player at �mes and slow motor when fa�gued
• Raw athle�cism and traits but inconsistent technique as pass rusher with his hand usage and leverage
TRANSITION:
Alexander has good mix size and strength to allow him to be utilized in different ways across different fronts – aligned
from both DT (multiple locations) and at DE positions in 3-man and 4-man Fronts (best suited to play from 3-Tech DT in 4-3
or DE in 3-4 Front). Showed ability to 2-Gap or penetrate depending on the defensive scheme and offensive play call. Very
good run defender who plays with good leverage and power at point of attack to control blockers and strong hands to
work off blocks and get to the ball. Good combination of power/strength and athleticism to allow him to disruptive pass
rusher who uses hands to work through blocks and create pressure or close on the ball. Needs to improve his stamina and
refine his technique to play with more consistent pad level.
Overall, Alexander is an exciting prospect with huge upside because of his ability to be a 3-Down player with the strength
and power to defend the run and the raw athleticism and ability to rush the passer. He will climb draft boards because of
his unique skill set and very high ceiling to become a consistently disruptive DT. Alexander could immediately contribute up
front as a rotational player and develop into a quality, impactful starter down the line with refining his technique and
improving his stamina. Potential to be an impact player vs both the run and rushing the passer making him worth late Day
2 pick. His room to improve as pass rusher makes him even more intriguing a prospect.
OTHER:
• Alexander came out of Fort Wayne, IN who was dominate in High School with 185 tackles and 37 TFLs his last 2
Seasons. Alexander played in 57 Games in his collegiate career, star�ng in 45 games, finishing his career with 127
total tackles, 9 Sacks, 1 INT, and 13 Bated Passes. He earned 1st Team All-MAC in 2024 and 3rd Team All-Mac in
2023.
190
From 2022 through 2024, Alexander played in 40 games with 26 starts. He had 1,432 snaps totaling 118 total tackles (15th
in Na�on among DTs), 23.5 TFLs (5th in Na�on among TEs), 9 Sacks (20th in Na�on among DTs). Of his 1,432 snaps, 731 of
them were pass plays and he generated 50 pressures with 9 Sacks, resul�ng in 6.8% pressure rate (75th in Na�on among
DTs with at least 500 defensive snaps between 2022 and 2024). His 9 bated passes between 2022 and 2024 ranked 7th in
Na�on.

SIS

Overall
Darius Alexander is an experienced, versatile, and athletic defensive tackle in Toledo's mainly Nickel defense that featured a majority of even-fronts. After redshirting as an offensive lineman during his freshman season, he spent the next 5 years playing defensive line where he started 29 of the 59 games he appeared in. Alexander is an older prospect, having spent 6 years at Toledo, and has a bevy of experience playing all over the interior of their defensive line. He primarily played 3-technique but also saw snaps head up on guards, at nose tackle, and even as an edge rusher on occasion. Alexander is a broad and long athlete who plays with a lot of pop in his hands and good agility for his size. He is a tough player with a sufficient motor, but his impact and effort tends to wane as games go deeper due to his high snap count in college.

Pass Game
Alexander shows major flashes in the pass game, especially early on in games. He has a sufficient first step and pass rush ability overall with the ability to make splash plays in single matchups. He uses his length to his advantage often and wins with swim, bull rush, and push-pull moves mainly. Alexander consistently makes big plays as a pass rusher early in games when his tank is full, but he tends to slow down significantly as games go on. If he can either shore up his stamina or be more selectively used at the next level, Alexander has a high ceiling as a pass rusher, he just lacks consistency at this time.

Run Game
Alexander has the potential to be a difference maker in the run game, and this is the area that will likely put him on the field early on in his career. He has plus play strength and is especially brutish with his upper-body strength. He has a wide chest with long arms and has the ability to press almost any interior lineman he faces in one-on-one reps. He also shows the stoutness to take on double teams with fair consistency. Alexander has quick and heavy hands that allow him to stack blockers consistently as well as work moves, though he is inconsistent when it comes to clearing hands off him once he gets outside the blocker's frame. When he is fresh, Alexander has good lateral strength and range and has the ability to make plays well outside his initial gap. He is a solid tackler who rarely misses opportunities. He shows good gap discipline as well but has a slight tendency to be slower diagnosing run direction and finding the ball.

Last Word
Alexander is a very versatile and athletic defensive lineman with loads of power at the end of his long arms. He projects best as an early-down starting 3-technique penetrator in an even-front defense, but also has the versatility to play some nose tackle and could even function as a 5-technique two-gapper as well. He is stout enough to take on double teams and quick enough to side-step guards off the snap with big-time flashes in the passing game as well, but he does not project to be a 3rd-down difference maker early on in his career due to his inconsistency as a pass rusher.

MORE

https://nfldraft.sportsinfosolutions.com/players/2439

Brugler

Darius Alexander Toledo, 6SR

HOMETOWN HIGH SCHOOL BIRTHDAY AGE HT WT NUM
Fort Wayne, IN Wayne Aug 26, 2000 24.66 6037 305 #9

BACKGROUND: Darius Alexander, one of four children, grew up in Fort Wayne, Ind., with his mother (Taya Alexander). His younger brother (Darrion)
played defensive back at Division II Anderson as a freshman in 2024 before entering the transfer portal. Alexander has a 6-year-old son (Messiah),
who has lived with him in Toledo the past few years (Alexander: "I didn't have a dad growing up, so my goal is to give (Messiah) everything.").
THE BEAST | BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS 332
Alexander attended Fort Wayne High, where he was a four-year varsity letterman and played both ways at ofensive tackle and defensive tackle.
His talent earned him varsity reps as a freshman, and he continued to make an impact on the defensive line as a sophomore. As a junior, Alexander
earned honorable mention all-state honors (97 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, five sacks and one forced fumble). After three straight losing seasons,
he led Fort Wayne to a 9-3 record (including two playof wins) as a senior. Alexander finished his final year with 87 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 10
sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception, earning first-team all-state and conference player of the year honors. He also played ofensive
tackle and had a rushing touchdown as a senior. Alexander lettered in basketball and track at Fort Wayne, setting a personal best of 45 feet, 8
inches in the shot put.
A three-star recruit, Alexander was the 130th-ranked weakside defensive end in the 2019 recruiting class and the No. 30 recruit in Indiana
(defensive end George Karlaftis was No. 1). He earned an invite to The Opening camp in 2018. Alexander went overlooked by most of the FBS
programs in the area, but Toledo identified his talent early and was one of only two schools to ofer him (Bowling Green being the other). He
committed to the Rockets and was the 12th-ranked recruit in head coach Jason Candle's 2019 class. Alexander played ofensive tackle during his
redshirt year before moving to the defensive line.
He took advantage of the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA because of the COVID-19 pandemic and returned for his sixth season. He
graduated with a degree in communications (May 2024). Alexander accepted his invitation to the Senior Bowl and was voted the National Team's
top defensive lineman during the week of practice.
YEAR (GP/GS) TKLS TFL SACK FF PD INT NOTES
2019: (-/-) Redshirted
2020: (6/0) 9 1.0 0.0 0 0 0 Pandemic-shortened season
2021: (13/3) 21 1.0 0.0 0 2 0
2022: (13/1) 21 7.0 1.5 0 3 0
2023: (14/11) 36 5.5 4.0 0 3 0 Third Team All-MAC
2024: (12/12) 40 7.5 3.5 0 5 1 Second Team All-MAC; 58-yard INT TD; missed season opener
Total: (58/27) 127 22.0 9.0 0 13 1

HT WT HAND ARM WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP NOTES
COMBINE 6037 305 10 34 82 7/8 4.95 2.91 1.71 31 1/2 9' 3" 4.79 7.60 28
PRO DAY DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP

STRENGTHS:
● Owns an NFL-ready frame, with long arms and big hands
● Fluid big man with outstanding body control for his size to slip through gaps
● Works well laterally to make plays up and down the line
● Shows basic understanding of how to lock out and leverage blocks, both as a rusher and run defender
● Rudely introduces himself to blockers with firm punches to create control
● Uses forceful tugs and rips to cross the faces of blockers
● Saw snaps on the edge, where he could tilt the field and create push with an extended runway
● Snifs out screens and plays alert as a drop player (see his interception in 2024 bowl game)
● Dominated against stifer competition during Senior Bowl practices

WEAKNESSES:
● Finds himself too upright with only average contact strength to battle through blocks
● Needs to develop instincts to feel blocking pressure and anticipate scheme
● Rangy tackler, but he'll leave some production on the field when he plays too hot
● Fights through trafc, but his rush plan often lacks cohesiveness
● Didn't dominate in college to the level his talent suggests he should have
● Single-digit career sacks over 59 games in college
● Will be 25 as a rookie

SUMMARY: A two-year starter at Toledo, Alexander played primarily the three-technique position in defensive coordinator Vince Kehres' hybrid
front. The Rockets' coaches initially played him at ofensive tackle his first year in the program before moving him to the defensive line. His
development was more gradual than immediate in college, but he flashed high-end ability over his final two seasons (led the team in pressures
created in 2023 and 2024) and didn't disappoint under the microscope at Senior Bowl practices.
Alexander is rangy defending the run, with the body fluidity and length to displace blocks. He has shown an improved ability to feel the rhythm of
blocks to work of contact but needs to streamline his pass rush with more consistent leverage and sequencing. Overall, Alexander isn't yet the
full sum of his impressive parts, but his blend of power, length and athletic body control give him the makings of a three-down,
scheme-versatile NFL starter. He projects best in an attacking role, where he'd be able to maximize his disruptive traits. His peak plays are
reminiscent of Leonard Williams.

GRADE: 2nd-3rd round (No. 61 overall)

MightyGiants · April 25, 2025, 09:35:54 PM

MightyGiants · April 25, 2025, 09:38:34 PM

https://x.com/BobbySkinner_/status/1915942839365865550

MightyGiants · April 25, 2025, 09:45:08 PM

The 33rd Team
@The33rdTeamFB
·
4m
Darius Alexander rocketed up our Big Board after the Senior Bowl 🚀

Alexander entered the event outside our Top 100, and finished the draft cycle as our 56th ranked player

@KyleCrabbs
on Alexander:

"Darius Alexander is a rocked-up, twitchy defender who boasts loads of potential in a variety of defensive schemes. Alexander has top-tier length and some flashes of strong gap control at the point of attack — he has the needed strength to live and play in any gap along the front."