Joe Alt

Chargers selected Notre Dame OT Joe Alt with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

To the surprise of absolutely nobody, new Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh 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 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 disappeared over the next two seasons, 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, 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.