Justin Herbert is receiving some much-needed front-side protection.
The Los Angeles Chargers selected Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt with the fifth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft Thursday night in Detroit.
Alt has terrific athleticism in his blood, as the son of ex-Chiefs Pro Bowl tackle John Alt and the brother of Mark Alt, a former NHL player. Incredibly, the younger Alt was primarily a tight end in high school and only played one game at left tackle before signing with Notre Dame, eventually taking over as the Irish’s starter at the position as a true freshman.
After some early growing pains there, Alt eventually became one of the best blockers in college football the past two seasons. Starting 25 games in 2022 and 2023 combined, Alt allowed only one sack over that span -- and it came on a play when he was accidentally tripped by his teammate.
At 6-foot-8 5/8 and 321 pounds, Alt is a massive human being blessed with 34-inch arms and 10-inch hands, giving him a wingspan of 82 3/4 inches. But most tackles in that size range can’t move the way Alt does, often leading the way on screens and readily reaching the second level of the defense.
All told, he had an impressive NFL Scouting Combine showing, with very respectable numbers in the bench press (27 reps), broad jump (9-foot-4), 20-yard shuttle (4.51 seconds), three-cone drill (7.31 seconds) and 40-yard dash (5.05 seconds), with a 1.73-second 10-yard split. His vertical jump (28 inches) was his lone sub-par result in Indianapolis.
But he’s most impressive on the field, at times looking effortless in quieting pass rushers. He’s an impressive technician, with sound feet and hands all working in concert, rarely looking taxed when he gets his hands on defenders. Alt is not a mauler who overwhelms his opponents, and there are times when he gets high in his stance, but the results have been extremely strong to this point.
Immediately, the question regarding Alt centers on where he'll play. Los Angeles already has a stellar left tackle on the roster in Rashawn Slater but spent its top pick on a player who lacks experience on the right side.
Alt has only played left tackle in college. He could be tried at right tackle, the way former ex-Irish OT Mike McGlinchey was after being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, although McGlinchey had played the right side previously. But more likely, Alt was drafted to be a left tackle -- and some scouts believe he could be a 10-year starter at the position.
We'll see what Los Angeles decides to do with Alt, but after years of looking for stopgaps or hopefuls along the offensive line -- and paying the price in the form of an abbreviated 2023 season for Herbert -- the Chargers are investing their most valuable capital in the group tasked with keeping Herbert upright.