Round 5: Darius Alexander, DT, Toledo
Perhaps the biggest need this offseason, even bigger than the need at WR2, is defensive tackle. The Cowboys have been horrific at DT the past few seasons and even if they bring Odighizuwa back like this scenario suggests, they are in need of a girthy 1-tech to bring everything together.
In 2024 the Cowboys rotated Mazi Smith and Linval Joseph. Neither player performed like a starter but the Cowboys were out of options. They’ll likely swap Joseph for another older veteran but can’t bank on that being an adequate answer.
Unfortunately, the top two DTs in the draft fell off the board in the first round so Dallas had to kick the can at DT down the draft. Finally, here in the fifth round they found their bargain.
Darius Alexander, 6-foot-4, 320-pounds, is built for the DT spot in the NFL. The man in the middle can play both 3-tech and 1-tech and was often tasked with taking on double teams, holding the front of the pocket in drop back situations, and being an immoveable object in running situations.
Alexander is a high-end run defender who should be able to contribute right away. He’s unlikely to ever be a dominant pass rusher but he’s shown athleticism needed to be a clean-up player. Given his size and skillset, he’s likely to be used most on running downs/situations. He’s among some of the best DTs in the class at shedding blocks and winning with leverage.
DARIUS ALEXANDER THICC 6!!! pic.twitter.com/EYjGdpgkVd
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) December 26, 2024
It’s difficult to predict his ceiling but he looks like a player who could work into a rotation early and eventually become one of the better run stoppers in the NFL someday. That’s good news for arguably the worst run-stopping team in the NFL.