Yes, Joe Alt is a Generational Tackle Prospect
I’ll be the first one to say, I believe playing on the offensive line, is the most thankless, difficult job in the NFL. Most of these guys are unsung heroes nowadays, as the days of trench battle football fans are slowly fading away.
As a 27-year-old man, I can firmly tell you, that I love Trench battle football, and watching Offensive Linemen play is awesome. One of the most fun linemen I’ve watched in quite some time is the focal point of today’s prospect Profile, would be Notre Dame’s Joe Alt.
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Joe Alt's Strengths
Joe Alt brings some incredible athleticism to the table for a left tackle. It’s not often you see a 6’8” 322 pound offensive lineman move with the speed and quickness of a tight end, which he happened to play in high school, as well as defensive end or quarterback. He also played basketball. Athletics are in Alt’s blood, and he has some NFL Pedigree. His father, John, Was a 13-year, 2-time Pro Bowl tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Toughness and Durability are two strong assets of Alt’s game, as he has played 33 consecutive games over 3 years for the Fighting Irish, all but one at left tackle. Most NFL Scouts and GMs will tell you, that the best ability, is durability. I feel like that is especially true for offensive linemen.
As I previously mentioned, Alt Stands at 6’8, and normally, with taller offensive linemen, specifically tackles, they tend to play a little too tall, and on their heels a bit, but not Alt. Alt has incredible Body control and balance, his pad height is almost always at the ideal height and weight distribution. In terms of technique, and refinement, no one in the class is better than Alt.
Alt almost always knows where to specifically place his hands, and his footwork is remarkable. Alt can Protect the corner against speed rushers, and the inside against stunts and counters with equal effectiveness, and pristine footwork and balance, Alt is very light on his feet in pass protection. He doesn’t panic and can process the field in front of him with a clear vision and confidence. Alt plays with an extremely high motor and competitive edge, he finishes his blocks with a little nasty emphasis.
While Alt isn’t as good as a run blocker as a pass blocker, he is still incredibly advanced. He is a sticky run-blocker who is consistently on time and in the proper position to win the block and execute his assignment, regardless of scheme or level of the defense. With his reported 4.9 flat speed, Alt can get to the second level with relative ease.
Joe Alt's Weaknesses
While Alt is as good as they come in terms of a tackle prospect, he still comes with some weaknesses and areas he can improve upon. As I mentioned before, Alt is a very good Run Blocker, but what he can improve upon is his explosiveness at the contact point when engaging with the defender. Alt doesn’t have that mauler mentality when it comes to run blocking, he doesn’t drive the defender back as ideally as you would want. While he is sticky, and a chore to get through, very powerful bull rushers will have a less difficult time trying to bull through.
Alt’s anchor can come into question sometimes as well, while Alt is supremely athletic, and can mirror and match edge rushers with athleticism, he doesn’t show the power to starch defenders in their tracks. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it just means Alt might have to expend a little bit more energy than he should on a snap-to-snap basis. Speaking of anchor, in pass protection, Alt will concede some ground while pass blocking, which means the pocket will become a little bit more compressed initially.
Scheme Fit
In terms of a scheme fit, Due to his proficiency in both run blocking and pass blocking, I believe Joe Alt is completely scheme versatile and will have no problem doing more of one. Notre Dame Predominantly ran a 55-45 split run-pass split throughout his career, with a zone-based concept. So Alt should feel comfortable in any scheme at the NFL Level.
Team Fits
Here are 5 teams that I believe will be targeting Joe Alt in the 2024 NFL Draft:
The Washington Commanders. The Commanders' offensive line has been terrible this season, and an immediate upgrade at either tackle position is needed. With the #4 overall pick, the Commanders will most likely have the first crack.
The New York Jets. Jets fans, myself included, will be begging Joe Douglas to take Joe Alt in April. Especially since an army tank couldn’t survive that offensive line, let alone a 40-year-old Aaron Rodgers.
The Tennessee Titans. If the Titans want to continue to run a predominantly smash-mouth style of offensive football, they are going to need some upgrades along the offensive line.
The Green Bay Packers. David Bahktiari has surely played his last game as a Green Bay Packer already, With a promising young offense, a franchise left tackle could go a long way.
Finally, The Chicago Bears. I don’t think the Bears will target an offensive lineman early in the draft, But if Alt is there with the Bear's second first-round pick, he might be too good of a prospect to pass up.
Pro Comparison
My Pro Comparison For Joe Alt is Lane Johnson. Now, I know what you are thinking right away, Lane Johnson is a right tackle. But hear me out. In terms of athletic ability, these two are extremely similar, especially with their speed, and quickness to conform to any defender in front of them. Johnson was, and is a more nasty finisher, but I believe Alt has an upper hand on him in terms of Technique. As a prospect I mean, not as a professional. Both are extremely comparable in terms of Technique and Athleticism.
Draft Projection
Joe Alt is a special prospect. He has a scarce blend of size, athletic ability, and polish for a player who will be only 21 years old throughout his rookie season. While he isn't the most powerful blocker and will concede some initial ground in his anchor, Alt has virtually every other physical tool, and skill set to become an immediate impact starter at left tackle, with the chance to become a pro bowler or an All-Pro Right away. I believe Joe Alt will be a Top 8 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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