2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Joe Alt

Strengths

• Room to add mass to gigantic frame, which is wide and lean
• High-end athlete with a background as a QB and TE
• Excellent mover in space and short areas
• Possesses above-average length with a strong understanding of how to use it
• Consistently makes first meaningful contact while maintaining body position to make adjustments and defining run lanes
• Competitor with a finishing mentality in the run game
• Strong understanding of angles and timing
• Shows quick processing ability to react to games and stunts

Weaknesses

• Should look to add mass to improve anchor against the bull rush
• Tends to give up ground on the initial jolt in pass protection
• Plays with good pad level and knee bend, meaning improvement in anchor may be limited due to height
• Long levers can make it difficult to drive defenders after contact
• Blocking strength could stand to improve to better control defenders as a run blocker
• Still relatively new to the offensive line position
• Footwork and know-how fall behind at times

Final Thoughts and Chicago Bears Fit for Joe Alt

I love draft prospects who grew up around the NFL. These players seem to have a stronger grasp of what's expected from them and what it takes to stick around in the NFL. Because of that, I believe these prospects tend to have higher floors than others. Alt's dad, John, was a two-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs.

But we are talking about Joe Alt, not John. Notre Dame has a history of producing quality offensive linemen. And Alt is no different, possessing special size and athleticism for the offensive tackle position. Additionally, I like his background including time playing quarterback and tight end. That should help give him a better perspective of how he's impacting players around him. When I look at him, I see a nearly perfect offensive tackle prospect. The knocks on Alt are all either minor or fixable, for the most part, while the positives are clear as day.

For the Chicago Bears, I would love to see Alt lined up at left tackle in 2024. However, I'm not sure it makes sense. The Bears still have Braxton Jones locked up for the next two seasons on one of the best value contracts in football. And Jones isn't a player suited to kick inside. His play style, long levers, and limited ability to generate leverage pigeonhole him on the outside.

Not to mention that I have Jones graded as the Bears' second-best offensive lineman and PFF has him graded as the 35th-best offensive tackle in the NFL (through Week 15). Ultimately, I'm not a fan of fixing something that's not broken, especially when it will cost a top-10 pick. As much as I love Alt, I'm not sure there's a fit here for the Bears.

Pro Comp: Ronnie Stanley