Earlier this week, I wrote about how the Dolphins can replace Calais Campbell now that he is off to play for the Arizona Cardinals.
In that article, I mentioned how the team can look to the draft for not one but two players to help provide snaps this season with an eye on the future for bigger roles.
One of those players is Darius Alexander out of Toledo.
Alexander would be a major help in the middle of the Dolphins defensive line and at 6’4, 311 pounds, he can presumably play either of the traditional three-down lineman positions at the zero technique or five technique.
Unlike some of his larger counterparts in the draft who will be mostly deployed to stop the run on early downs, Alexander can be a benefit to Miami in both the run and pass game.
With 34-inch arms, Alexander can hold his own in the running game and allow for linebackers to fill the gaps, while his long arms and quickness are also beneficial on passing downs, as evidenced by his 4,95 40-yard dash time at the combine that included a 1.72 10-yard split.
Even if he isn’t able to fully get to the passer, his long arms will have him account for many deflections at the line of scrimmage.
Last season, Alexander was the star for the Rockets’ defense as he piled up 40 tackles from his defensive tackle position, while also garnering 7.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and four pass break-ups.
He even returned an interception for a touchdown in their bowl game in 2024.
The season before in 2023, he played in all 14 games and had four sacks and had four pass break-ups.
Alexander is really a do-it-all player that every defensive line can use.
Pairing him alongside Zach Sieler on rushing downs will give the team two big defensive tackles who are quick enough to disrupt the plays before they even get started.
With the long passing situations to follow, Alexander can then use his quickness to get in the quarterback’s face and get a deflection or a sack.
If Miami cannot get Kenneth Grant in the first round, Darius Alexander would be a great fallback option and provide the team with length, quickness, and toughness for years to come.
