Toledo’s Darius Alexander is a classic small-school prospect who possesses the traits that will garner the NFL’s attention. A big, strong, and lengthy pass rusher, his skill set is one that teams will covet in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.
Darius Alexander Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’4″
- Weight: 305 pounds
- Position: Defensive Tackle
- School: Toledo
- Current Year: Sixth-Year Senior
Alexander’s Scouting Report
Alexander is from Fort Wayne, Ind., and played his high school football at Wayne High School. He committed to Toledo after a modest recruitment where he was a three-star recruit. He originally came to campus as an offensive tackle but made the switch to defensive tackle after his redshirt season as a freshman.
He was a key contributor to Toledo’s defense throughout his first two seasons but finally assumed a starting role as a junior. In his first season as a starter, Alexander was named third-team All-MAC for his efforts.
As a senior, Alexander was named CSN first-team All-MAC and established himself as a bona fide NFL prospect.
Strengths
- Outstanding arm length and wingspan to extend and win the inside chest of offensive tackles.
- Explosive linear athlete who is a load to handle man-to-man.
- Powerful bull rusher who can disrupt pocket integrity from a variety of alignments.
- A high-energy player who makes plays late in the down.
- Has an array of pass-rush moves and knows how to set up blockers.
Weaknesses
- Poor pad level stymies his power.
- Production was inconsistent against lower competition.
- Not a fluid athlete and shows tightness in his lower half when forced to change direction.
- Will be 25 as a rookie.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Toledo’s defensive tackle is an intriguing prospect that NFL decision-makers will have fun trying to figure out. He is a four-year contributor but only started his last two seasons. Alexander played up and down the defensive front but projects best as a 5-tech in a 3-4 defense.
Physically, Alexander is as impressive as they come. He has outstanding length, very good size, and a strong frame. He is an average athlete overall but does show linear explosiveness when working vertically up the field. His athletic limitations stem from him having tightness in his lower half and his lack of fluidity when changing direction.
As a pass rusher, Alexander has some very exciting flashes. He is quick off the ball and is a load for offensive lineman to contain when he is head up man-to-man. He fires off the line of scrimmage, and utilizes his length and heavy hands to jolt and shock the blocker, creating space for him to slip through and get to the quarterback.
His ability to convert speed to power is outstanding, and he can drive opposing blockers back into the quarterback.
He displays a variety of rush moves and can dip/rip, swim, and go arm-over when needed. Alexander must continue to improve his pad level and hand placement as a rusher. He will often miss with his punch allowing offensive tackles to then win his chest and drive him backward while he is off balance. Additionally, when he plays high, he forfeits his power and will get stone walled up front.
Alexander is an above-average run defender who shows good power to set the edge at the point of attack. He can stack and shed quickly and then has good vision to locate the ball carrier. He is an above-average tackler and utilizes his length to corral the ball carrier to the ground.
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There are instances where Alexander is forced to change direction in run pursuit and he will labor and show stiffness. His anchor against double teams is just average and he needs to work on playing with a wider base when asked to maintain gaps.
Overall, Alexander is a better pass rusher than run blocker at the stage of his career. The physical tools are tantalizing, but defensive coordinators will need to be smart with how they utilize him. He is far from a finished product, but Alexander has the talent to become a good starter in the NFL.