We are just one week away from the 2024 NFL Draft, where the football world will be introduced to a new set of stars — some that will make an immediate impact at the next level. One of these players is Notre Dame left tackle Joe Alt, who is seen as a lock to be selected in the top 10, and may not make it out of the top five.
The 2023 Unanimous All-American is a mountain of a man, standing at 6-foot-9, 321 pounds. He registered the highest overall PFF grade (90.7) by an FBS offensive lineman last season, and allowed just one sack on 740 pass blocking snaps over the past two years, per Next Gen Stats.
Alt is a legitimate athlete as well, as he reached 14.14 miles per hour in the first five yards of his eventual 5.05 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine, which is the fastest speed recorded by any offensive lineman in the first five yards of the 40 over the last two combines.
“Starting with the combine, it was a great experience,” Alt told CBS Sports. “I feel like I put my best foot forward, was able to have some meetings and talk with teams and then going out there and being able to run and put my best foot forward out there and show what I trained for.”
Alt told CBS Sports he took just three official meetings, and didn’t have to travel much throughout the pre-draft process. Which was ideal for him since he was able to stay in his workout regiment. Next up is the big event itself.
If it’s not Caleb Williams going No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears, Alt to the Tennessee Titans at No. 7 overall is probably the most popular “mock selection.” What does Alt think about his potential fit with the Titans?
“I don’t look a ton into the mock drafts. I was able to meet with the Titans and had a great experience there, and got to talk with both coach Brian Callahan and coach Bill Callahan and hear from them and hear what they have in store for the team,” Alt said. “It was a really great visit for me. (I’m) excited to see whatever happens here next Thursday.”
There aren’t too many weaknesses in Alt’s scouting report. His dad, John, was a first-round pick that made two Pro Bowls as an offensive tackle and is in the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame, and his brother, Mark, was a draft pick of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. Alt was a team captain for The Fighting Irish that blocked for one of the best offenses in Notre Dame history. Still, there are things he knows he can improve upon as a player.
“There’s two things, I always love to talk about the run and the pass (blocking),” Alt said. “In the run, I’m always trying to just play a little bit lower. I think being able to use my size when I do get down low and get up under a guy’s pads I can use that leverage against them with my size, and just being able to move guys off the ball better. And then the pass, always try to work my strike. That’s something that’s always important, I think it really takes defenders off their game and off their rush plan, so being able to kind of throw a jab up there, a jolt to them and kind of get them thinking and take the fight to them instead of letting them stay in routine.”
Comparisons for Alt range from Mike McGlinchey to former No. 1 overall pick Eric Fisher. But who better to size up a prospect than the prospect himself?
“Nate Solder from the Patriots a few years ago, that’s kind of more of a size comparison,” Alt said. “For me, when I look at the way I play and the way I think, I always go to two guys: Joe Thomas and the way he sets. I think I have the ability to short set and jump set guys like he did, but also be able to set on third down vertically and play smart with my guard and see what the defense is bringing on third down. The mental side of things, a guy who I really look to is Lane Johnson and his approach to the snap count. There’s a fine line between being early and jumping offsides, but also being early in the snap count and being able to win that first set and being able to bring that fight to the defender.”
One thing Alt wants NFL teams to know is that he’s not this reserved individual. He’s a “locker room guy” who wants to make an impact on his teammates.
“One of my big things, I come off very calm, cool, collected on the field. That’s just how I feel I play my best, and I think that people think I might be more of a quiet type, or not a very social guy,” Alt said. “I love to be in the locker room, I’m more of an outgoing person than people think. It’s one of those things I think kind of gets forgotten a little bit when they see me play on the field.”
This offensive line class is deep. In fact, sportsbooks believe a whopping 10 “trench talents” could be selected on opening night. We asked Alt why he deserves to be recognized as the best offensive lineman in this class.
“Starting in the pass (protection), I have unique size and unique length to be able to play, and I think my feet are athletic enough to stay in front of guys while playing with length, and I think that’s something that’s really special about me,” Alt said. “In the run, I think my ability to use my length to my advantage at the second level, staying in front of linebackers and safeties. Also in the run game, the strength there, that I think that I have, to be able to run guys off the ball and work there is something that I think makes me who I am.”
While Alt will not be in Detroit for the draft, he did take a trip to Michigan last week with former Oregon quarterback and fellow draft prospect Bo Nix to visit Selfridge Air National Guard Base, where they teamed up with USAA, Official NFL Salute to Service Partner, to meet with members of our military and even hopped in a UH-60 Black Hawk to fly over Detroit and the draft site.
“I was able to partner with USAA here before the draft, and was able to go out to Detroit and visit Selfridge Air Base,” Alt said. “And the biggest thing for me was just meeting the people, military members and getting to hear their stories. Where they came from, why they chose the military and what it means to them. It was something really special to me just because I have two grandfathers who were in the Army, and I’ve been able to learn from them.
“Also being able to tour the base and finishing off my trip flying in a Black Hawk helicopter up over Detroit and over the draft site was something that will be one of my core memories for the rest of my life. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. I always want to show my gratitude and respect for those who serve. I wouldn’t be able to play and do what I love without them and their service. I was really appreciative and it was a great experience for me.”
