NFL

Joe Alt gives Chargers a line of protection

April 29, 2024
Daniel Herrera

LOS ANGELES- The Los Angeles Chargers and their supporters gathered around screens all over the country to figure out who the next Bolt was going to be. Following the first four picks of the 2024 NFL Draft, offensive tackle Joe Alt, son of NFL legend John Alt, was chosen by the Chargers at the No. 5 slot.

The former Notre Dame stalwart is now officially a member of the Chargers organization. That also means that the Chargers added another body to the wall of protection for quarterback Justin Herbert.

“Obviously, you guys saw that we selected [T] Joe Alt,” Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz said after Day One of the draft. “Very excited to make the pick. I feel like we got a guy that is going to come in and really improve our team. He’s big. He’s physical. He’s tough, smart, durable. An outstanding player in college who is just scratching the surface.”

While the Chargers had put their focus on snapping up the best ballplayer for their club at the draft, the rumorville had Herbert’s name being put out there for a possible trade. Hortiz was transparent about reports of the Chargers fielding trade requests from other teams about Herbert and quickly dismissed them.

“At the combine, I had some people ask me if we would consider it, and they were quickly shot down,” Hortiz said. “No, that is never an option.”

Despite reportedly fielding requests from multiple teams who came to them asking about Herbert, the Chargers decided to do what worked best for them, and that was to keep the pick and look for a player who could help upgrade the offensive line.

At 6-foot-9 and 321 pounds, Alt fits that description. The Chargers decided that Alt’s experience and strength were perfect for the team’s offensive line.

“He was the player at the top of our board,” Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said. “Nobody rated higher than Joe Alt when it came to our selection that we picked. I know the questions are going to come up and you’re going to say, ‘Well, what about a weapon?’ Offensive linemen, we look at as weapons. That group, when we talk about attacking on offense, offensive line is the tip of the spear.”

The Bolts hosted a draft party at a Top Golf in El Segundo, California on the first day of the draft and had multiple players from the team’s current roster show up along with a large contingent of supporters. Fans and members of the Chargers organization started arriving around 4 p.m. but around 5:30 p.m. everyone gathered together when the fifth pick came on the TV screen.

For that minute you couldn’t hear anything because everyone was quiet as they patiently waited to see who would put on their jersey. Fans erupted with excitement when Alt’s name was called. After being picked, Alt talked about his excitement in joining the Chargers.

“I think that there were two thoughts that popped in my head immediately,” Alt said. “The first one being gratitude. Like I said, just grateful for the people around me, grateful for this organization in believing in me and this opportunity. The second one, just straight excitement. I can’t wait to get out here, get to work and go back to what I love doing, and that’s playing football.”

While at Notre Dame, Alt played as an offensive tackle and in that position earned two Associated Press First Team All-American honors in 2022 and 2023.

Before the draft, speculation had it that a possible hookup between Malik Nabers and the Bolts might happen, but the talented wide receiver will be continuing his career in New York for the Giants following his time at LSU.

The Chargers were in a favorable position this draft, as many teams are in desperate need of players, specifically quarterbacks. The Chargers didn’t have to worry about something like that.

“To have a franchise quarterback such as that, you don’t have to go looking very hard, like teams such as the Bears where they have to pick a number one pick, well we have our number one pick right now,”  Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley said.

Herbert was sacked 29 times last season and ended the year watching games from the sidelines after breaking a finger in a December loss to the Denver Broncos. Alt, along with Zion Johnson, Rashawn Slater, and Trey Pipkins III, would give the Chargers an impenetrable offensive line.

With that said, Harbaugh is not quite ready to name his starting offensive linemen.

“It’s to be determined,” Harbaugh remarked. “All of that is to be determined, what our best five is. [T] Rashawn Slater is the left tackle. We love [Trey] Pipkins [III] as a player. All of the guys. When you start talking tackle, as I expressed in a lot of the meetings, I would play with five tackles, if we could [laughter]. Big, long, athletic, strong guys. Don’t rule anything out. Who is going to play where? We’re going to play the best five that we have on the team.”

The Chargers had an unlucky experience with a rash of injuries last season. The offensive line was hit hard on that front, therefore this upcoming season is an important one to make sure that Herbert stays upright.

“The whole mindset for us is to get better and win games,” said Zion Johnson. “We’re coming forth with a mindset that how we play is going to resonate with the rest of the team and uplift everybody.”

Photo caption: SOUTH BEND, IN – OCTOBER 14: Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Joe Alt (76) blocks during a college football game against the USC Trojans on October 14, 2023 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire)

News4usonline Editor Dennis J Freeman contributed to this report

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