Why the Chargers selected OT Joe Alt

The Chargers invest in the trenches for the third time in four seasons to protect Justin Herbert for the foreseeable future.

With the fifth-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Chargers selected Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt.

So after all the reports and vibes that Jim Harbaugh is planning to run the mess out of the football, they’ve turned out to be true with the decision to draft the draft’s top tackle over any of the top wide receivers remaining not named Marvin Harrison Jr. Even after the media blitz predicting that it would be Alabama’s JC Latham at No. 5, the Chargers elected to go with a monolithic tackle in the 6’9 Alt.

Jim Harbaugh voiced to the media during the league meetings in March that the offensive line is the only group of players on the field who aren’t reliant on the performance. That seemed to be viewed as the biggest flashing light that the Chargers would end up going with an offensive tackle on opening night.

Now the picture for the Jim Harbaugh-led Chargers is starting to take shape, especially after looking at the team’s batch of free agents signed last month. The additions of running back Gus Edwards and tight end Will Dissly were the first signs that the Bolts were going to be a much tougher team on the line of scrimmage. They added another tight end in Hayden Hurst on top of a new starting center in former Ravens and Panthers center Bradley Bozeman. The clues were all there and we apparently just needed to open our eyes a bit more.

So let’s talk Alt.

The guy is a massive 6’9 and 321 pounds. They do NOT make lineman like that very often. The length and size is not a coachable trait so at least the Chargers know they got an elite one in that sense. Luckily for the Bolts, he’s also one heck of a technician in pass protection. For those that don’t know, Alt is the son of former Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle John Alt who earned a Second-Team All-Pro honor and a couple Pro Bowls nominations. The guy has NFL blood coursing through his veins.

But the Chargers aren’t just going to sling it around the yard, are they? Harbaugh and Co. are going to try and run the heck out of the football and the unanimous All-American can do just that. Despite being taller than most tackle, Alt still possesses adequate strength while also showing elite movement skills for someone of his stature. Just take a look at the video below where they pull Alt from the backside of the play to lead up for running back Audric Estime. That’s pretty rare!

There’s a sense around scouting circles that Alt will have to improve his overall strength to contend with the rigors of the NFL. That’s probably true given his lean frame but 27 reps on the bench press at 225 pounds with such long arms is not something to shake a finger at. He’s a tough dude and as long as he has his leverage under control and can drop his center gravity when necessary I believe he’ll be a good player in powder blue for a long, long time.

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