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Scouting another talented defensive lineman in a strong class.

Approaching the 2025 NFL Draft, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on anywhere from Rounds 1 through 7. We’ll break down the prospects themselves, strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital and their fit with the Steelers.

Is Toledo defensive lineman Darius Alexander a sleeper option for the Steelers’ first round pick?

The basics on Darius Alexander

• Position: Defensive line
• Class: Sixth-year senior
• Size: 6’4, 305 pounds
• Age: 24 (will turn 25 ahead of rookie season)
• Projected draft round: 2

Stats via Sports Reference

Darius Alexander scouting report

Alexander has an incredibly high floor; he’s one of those players where it’s easy to predict a long career in the NFL. After a whopping six years at Toledo, the well-built defensive lineman has become a versatile, well-rounded prospect.

The first thing that stands out about Alexander is his length. He’s a well-proportioned 6’4, 305 pounds with 34” arms. That helps him keep offensive linemen away from his chest and control plays (No. 9 in all clips).

Alexander didn’t play against a ton of high-end competition at Toledo, but he performed like you’d expect a top-100 player to against the Rockets’ opponent. His upper body strength is another impressive trait, with Alexander possessing a strong bull rush and the ability to viciously shed blocks.

(Plus, check out the rep as a stand-up edge rusher! Alexander fits best as a 3-tech in the NFL, but he played everywhere in college).

Those abilities, as well as an impressive anchor, show up in Alexander’s run defense as well.

However, from time to time his pad level gets a bit too high, allowing him to be moved off the line of scrimmage.

Alexander doesn’t stand out as much when it comes to raw athleticism (but a 9.16 RAS says there’s some upside). While not consistently bad, his first step is not remarkable and he was often the last defender off the line in college. He doesn’t win with speed or burst.

But his hand usage is polished with a good pass-rush plan and solid arsenal of moves; Alexander isn’t the most disruptive defensive lineman in this class, but he has his fair share of plays were he knifed into the offensive backfield.

Alexander’s lack of agility can also hamper his ability to finish plays. He’d often win reps but just miss the tackle or locate the ball-carrier late. His production could’ve been a bit better in 2024:

That being said, Alexander is a polished prospect overall. But his lack of high-end athleticism, plus a long college career where it took him a while to become an impact starter in the MAC, gives me some pause regarding the first-round hype that’s started to build around him.

Still, Alexander is one of many talented Day 2 defensive tackles who should make an instant impact for whichever team drafts him.

Strengths

• NFL size, strength; rarely driven back
• Violent block shedding
• Great length
• Versatility to play all over the defensive line
• Wins with power; incredibly powerful upper half
• Active hands and decent selection of pass-rushing moves

Weaknesses

• Older prospect as a sixth-year senior
• Lacks quick twitch; often last defender off the line
• Linear defender; subpar agility and ability to find ball hurt tackling radius
• Occasionally plays with high pad level
• Good tape, but a lot of it is against lesser competition

What others are saying about Darius Alexander

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com

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.

Kyle Crabbs of The 33rd Team

Alexander has played up and down the front, mainly in the B-gap in various 2, 2i, and 3T alignments. Nearly 1,700 of his career 2,054 snaps have come in the B-gap. Physically, he profiles as a 3-tech for even front teams and a 4i end for odd front schemes. … Alexander projects as a universal talent but should be regarded as a developmental starter. He has the length, upper-body power, and lateral disengagement agility to play gap control schemes as a 4i while also boasting the raw first-step quickness and rush counters to attack in a penetration scheme.

The Draft Network

This theme of taking plays off showed up too often for my liking, but what Alexander puts on tape speaks for itself. Despite my concerns about his play-to-play consistency, this is a player who will be the best version of himself in the NFL. With proper coaching to improve his ball-tracking instincts and to develop a more relentless pass-rush mentality, the rewards could be significant. This is an early-round talent who has had a unique path to unlocking his potential. While he may be an older prospect, what Alexander has shown at the end of his career feels like the beginning of what could be a future star in this league—provided he lands in the right situation.

Darius Alexander’s fit with the Steelers

Alexander fits into the weird group of early Day 2 graded players who have had top-30 visits with Pittsburgh. Are the Steelers planning a trade back? A “reach” in the first? Are we reading too much into it?

The one thing we do know is that the team has a need at interior defensive line. Alexander might not be the flashiest there in this year’s class, but he has a strong enough overall profile to be an every-down player, and he has the sort of strength and length you want to see in a 3-4 base end.

TL;DR: Alexander is an extremely “safe” pick in the early Day 2 at defensive line. He’s a lengthy, powerful defender in the run and pass game with good technique. He’s a bit stiff as an athlete and played against lesser competition over a six-year college career, but his abilities should translate well to the NFL level.

What are your thoughts on Toledo DL Darius Alexander? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!