Blogging The Boys
The Cowboys need some interior linemen.
There has been a lot of talk about the 3-technique position over the last few months. With Osa Odighizuwa a current free agent, and likely to demand a contract that could pull him away from Dallas, the Cowboys could be in desperate need of a 3-technique defensive tackle this offseason.
We all know by now the Cowboys do not spend big money in free agency, and with Odighizuwa staring a big payday in the face, the Cowboys will need to replenish the defensive tackle room with or without Odighizuwa returning. That need became an even bigger position of concern once the team announced the hiring of Matt Eberflus as the defensive coordinator earlier this week. It is no secret that the 3-technique spot is one of the key spots in a successful Eberflus defensive system.
During his time in Indianapolis, Eberflus shored up the spot with the addition of Deforest Buckner. When in Chicago, Eberflus did a nice job developing Gervon Dexter and Justin Jones. In Dallas, Eberflus’ only 3-technique is a current free agent with no proven NFL talent left on the roster.
That is where Toledo’s Darius Alexander comes into play.
The interior of the defensive line has been a weakness for the Cowboys over the last several seasons. And it looks to be even more of an issue heading into 2025. The Cowboys currently hold three picks in the top 100, and with a plethora of needs, it will be hard for them to check every box in this year’s draft. One name to get familiar with is Darius Alexander.
Alexander is not a guy you have heard about often in this year’s draft cycle... yet. The 6-foot-3, 310-pound interior defensive lineman is coming off an excellent year at Toledo where he recorded four sacks, 25 hurries, and a pass rush win-rate of 12.8%. Alexander is also coming off a nice week at the Reese’s Senior Bowl, proving to be one of the top interior defensive linemen in Mobile. If Matt Eberflus is looking for big, long, and fast three-techniques, Alexander checks all the boxes.
Along with being a very good pass rush presence along the interior, Alexander more than holds his own against the run. Alexander uses his 34+” arms well to shed blockers and make plays in his gap, as well as using his quickness and power to win behind the line of scrimmage consistently. In 2024, Alexander posted a 90.3 run defense grade according to PFF and an impressive 7.9% run-stop win rate. Before raising his stock at the Senior Bowl, Alexander was projected as a day three pick but will likely push himself into the day two conversation after an impressive Senior Bowl week and his expected testing at the NFL Scouting Combine at the end of February.
There are plenty other intriguing options for the Eberflus coached defense in this upcoming draft and the Cowboys could elect to shore up the position in free agency, but...
