The Chargers will have control over the towering lineman for the next five years considering his first round selection. Alt is expected to immediately enter the starting lineup at right tackle for a rebuilding Chargers team with an all new coaching staff under Jim Harbaugh. A likely emphasis on a run-balanced offensive approach in Los Angeles, paired with stout tackle play on both sides of the line, should allow the Chargers to improve upon their offensive line play from a season ago after allowing the 12th most sacks in the league.

To the surprise of absolutely nobody, new Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh has made Alt the first lineman off the board. The son of former 13-year NFL OL John Alt, Alt (6’9/321) played tight end in high school before shifting to tackle at Notre Dame. He acclimated to the position quickly enough to start the final eight games of ND’s 2021 campaign, logging 614 snaps and allowing three sacks despite being a true freshman. His sacks allowed total practically evaporated over the next two seasons, with Alt allowing just one QB takedown and 13 pressures in 1,600 snaps in that span while anchoring an elite line. The All-American showed out in testing as well, posting the highest Relative Athletic Score in the 2024 tackle class with a superb 9.91 RAS Combine performance. He has a long, linear frame that allows him to pack on functional mass while still maintaining impressive lateral quickness and burst. Alt’s flexibility and wide base allow him to both recover and anchor extremely well, which is a result of his freakish athletic gifts for the position. He could stand to be a bit more stout on contact, as he will give ground to some of the more prominent power rushers he faced this year. However Alt almost always is able to reset and stiffen up before any damage is done in the backfield. Alt has all the tools necessary to be a decade-long, plug-and-play NFL left tackle, though he will likely start out manning the right side for the Bolts, who have Rashawn Slater on the left.

The Chargers have the fifth pick in the upcoming draft and the Titans hold the seventh pick. Alt would make sense as a Charger after new head coach Jim Harbaugh has talked up a tough-nosed, run-first offense that would require elite blocking. Last year, Pro Football Focus graded the Chargers as the worst run blocking unit in the NFL. The Titans, meanwhile, were 24th in PFF run blocking and 18th in pass blocking. Breer said “in talking with people over the past few days, another Joe’s name has come up when discussing Notre Dame LT Joe Alt. That’d be Joe Thomas. Now, it’s not the cleanest comp. Alt’s a little bigger and longer, and Thomas maybe a little more powerful. But it works for teams in that Alt’s tape can sometimes be less than spectacular because he’s so athletic.”