Welcome Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame

[Bolt-O]

[Fouts2herbert]

We know Slater has more experience playing RT than Alt. So they could move him over there and just pay him like the Lions did with Sewell.

Slater is a cool kid and a team player, if they ask him to go to RT he would probably go without any bullshit hassle...and he would be every bit as good as a RT too...

[powderblueboy]

The Hortiz comment about where he plays is to be determined is interesting. If we move Slater to OLT, like I posited a long time ago, that might work.

I don't think we are done drafting OL here.

Memo to Rashawn, Guards get paid very, very well.

Its almost like you need to get an OG now, because you don't want to see stout OT play and a leakey interior.
lt or Slater blocking air and have the D funnel rushers to the interior.
Alt doesn't need a vet on his shoulder.

[Jrock1970]

Alt is NOT a bad pick. He's a very good LT. He can probably be just as good on right side as well. @ #5 is too rich for me , but I would have taken Fuaga @#5 if trade down not worth it so I'm not unhappy we took an OT. That being said.....the best RT (who played RT) is still on the board after Min, Den and LV and we still have same picks...would have been happier w/ a couple more...lol. The next 2 picks will define outlook/vision Horitz and Co have for '25. If they go C/DL back to back without aquiring more picks the chances of hitting on a sorely needed CB, LB, WR that can contribute significantly and immediately drops quite a bit. That puts more emphasis on FA....which is already thin at best. So....not unhappy w/OT.....would have picked one 1st anyway👍
just a different one....and later🍻

[Blastttoff]

JH
john harbaugh
justin Herbert
joe Hortiz
joe HALT

[electricgold]

[Xenos]

The Los Angeles Chargers selected Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt with the No. 5 pick in Thursday’s first round of the NFL Draft.

The son of former Kansas City Chiefs OT John Alt (a first-rounder himself in 1984), Joe Alt began his high school career as a tall quarterback who eventually matriculated to tight end and then to left tackle, as he’s added some 90 pounds to his frame since the middle of his high school career.

Now a legit 6-foot-8 and 321 pounds, Alt was a three-year starting left tackle at Notre Dame – finishing up with back-to-back All-American seasons in 2022 and 2023. An outstanding athlete with terrific balance and quickness for his size, Alt checks nearly every box a starting NFLtackle needs as a long and nimble protector with enough power to move people in the run game. He can lunge at times, but his bend at 6-foot-8 is pretty remarkable.

A young 21, Alt is still smoothing out the finer points of his technique at the position but he projects as a first-year starting left tackle and potentially a long-term building block.


The Beast’ breakdown
Alt ranked No. 5 in Dane Brugler’s Top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:

“Although his pass pro anchor isn’t always immediate and he gets caught overextending, Alt has the natural ability to achieve proper leverage, frame up rushers with his length and consistently get back to the strength of his body without losing balance. In the run game, he displays terrific movement skills and large, skilled hands to generate movement at the point of attack. Overall, Alt stays light on his feet with the big-man agility, body control and instinctive recovery skills to become a high-level run blocker and above-average pass protector very early in this NFL career.”


Coaching intel
What an anonymous coach had to say about Alt in Bruce Feldman’s mock draft:

“He’s never in a bad position and he’s never on the ground. Some of these guys, you can get them moving. This dude always has his pads square and played with low pad level.”


Why he’s a first-round pick
A three-year starter, two-time All-American and one-time captain at Notre Dame, Alt’s family bloodlines (brother, Mark, played in the NHL, sister played college hoops) is filled with athletic talent. He’s the most athletic and high-floor OT in this class.


Scott Dochterman grades the pick
Jim Harbaugh built Michigan into a national champion by fortifying its offensive line. Harbaugh now is attempting to do the same with the Chargers by grabbing the overwhelming top offensive lineman in Alt. Harbaugh had plenty of opportunities to trade down but starting his tenure with an elite left tackle was too much to discard.

After beginning his career as a tight end, Alt slid into left tackle midway through his freshman year at Notre Dame and never vacated the position. With 33 consecutive starts beginning his true freshman year, Alt was durable and productive in three seasons. Alt earned All-America honors after his sophomore and junior seasons. He has the requisite arm length (34 ¼ inches) and quickness (1.73 seconds in the 10-yard sprint) coupled with strength and natural ability to play left tackle for a decade-plus. His father was a stalwart left tackle with the Chiefs in the 1980s and 1990s.


Grade: A- Mike Sando’s assessment
Alt is much taller than the prototypical tackle but was a consensus top-10 pick because he moves and bends like he’s 6 feet 5.


How he fits
From general manager Joe Hortiz to Harbaugh to offensive coordinator Greg Roman to run game coordinator Andy Bischoff, the Chargers’ messaging has been consistent the past two months: They want to build through the trenches, they want to be physical, and they want to run the ball. Alt, the first offensive lineman off the board, aligns with that vision. He is hyper-athletic for his size and should be a weapon for Roman in the running game.


Rookie impact
Alt played exclusively left tackle at Notre Dame, starting 33 games in three college seasons. The Chargers already have a franchise left tackle in Rashawn Slater, so Alt’s clearest path to playing time as a rookie should come at right tackle. The upside with Alt is what makes this pick rather interesting. He is already a refined player in pass protection and run blocking, even though he only started playing offensive line once he got to Notre Dame. He was a quarterback and tight end in high school. Alt’s understanding of the position and feel for angles are apparent on tape. He has the potential to develop even further with more experience.


Depth-chart impact
The big depth chart question: What does this mean for right tackle Trey Pipkins? Former GM Tom Telesco and former coach Brandon Staley signed Pipkins to a three-year contract extension last offseason. Pipkins had just come off a career season despite playing through a sprained MCL. In 2023, Pipkins regressed. But he is still a functional player at right tackle. At a minimum, the Chargers now have significant competition at right tackle.

They still have a hole at right guard. Jamaree Salyer moved to right guard from tackle last season, and that transition did not go smoothly. Would the Chargers consider trying Pipkins at right guard to compete with Salyer? The Chargers can move on from Pipkins’ extension after this season.


They also could have picked …
The obvious answer is LSU receiver Malik Nabers, who went in the next pick to the New York Giants at No. 6. The Chargers have a glaring need at receiver after moving on from Mike Williams (released) and Keenan Allen (traded to Bears) this offseason. Nabers would have provided the type of explosive pass-catcher the Chargers have been missing for years. Instead, Harbaugh and Hortiz prioritized their front. The other possibility was trading out from No. 5 and taking an offensive lineman later in the first round. That did not materialize, and the Chargers came away with what they viewed as the top offensive lineman in the draft.


Fast evaluation
This feels like a statement pick from the new regime. They have been clear about how they want to build the roster, and that starts with controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. With Alt and Slater, the Chargers have potentially set up bookend tackles for Justin Herbert for the foreseeable future. Herbert has been injured the past two seasons. Protecting him is clearly a priority. Who will he be throwing to? That remains to be seen. They had a chance to pair Herbert with Nabers or Washington receiver Rome Odunze, and they passed.

[Xenos]

Trade bait.

We did it with Clary who turned out to be better at RG even if it was only a season before injuries killed him.

[wu-dai clan]

Harbaugh said Slater is locked in at LT

Noted. TY.

[Xenos]

You happy Boltnut?

[Ghost of Quacksaw]

Alt already said he has no problem if he's drafted and asked to play RT! I'm pretty sure the Chargers asked him this at the combine!

They were astronomically negligent, if they didn't! They absolutely needed to know in advance that Alt was amenable to playing RT.

[richpjr]