Breaking Down Notre Dame Tackle Joe Alt

The Chicago Bears will have two first-round picks in next April's NFL Draft. Based on how the season has gone to date, both of those picks could be very high first-rounders. Depending on how the season plays out, one of those picks may have to be used on a quarterback, but with the other, it's anyone's guess.

If we are Drafting on pure talent, then one of the names the Bears will be looking at is Notre Dame's junior tackle Joe Alt. Many NFL evaluators believe Alt will give Penn State's Olu Fashanu a run for his money as to who the first tackle selected is.

Joe Alt is the son of former Kansas City Chief tackle John Alt, who played 13 years for the Chiefs and went to several Pro Bowls. Joe didn't start out as an offensive lineman; in fact, when he was in High School in Minnesota, he played tight end, albeit a really big tight end. As a senior, he was about 6'6 255.

Notre Dame recruited Alt to play tight end, but once they got him on campus, they saw the growth potential that he had, and he didn't stay at tight end for long. In the first four games of the 2021 season (Alt's freshman year), Joe was a backup TE, but when Notre Dame went to a heavy package, Alt would change his number and play as a third tackle. Because of injuries to the offensive line that season, Alt ended up starting eight games at left tackle for the Irish, and he's been a fixture there ever since.

Joe Alt has all the traits we look for in a quality offensive tackle. He's tall and big (6070 – 322), has very long arms, and runs really well for a man his size. His overall athleticism is excellent in that he can change direction quickly and has very good upper and lower body flexibility.

In the run game, Alt dominates as he comes off the ball very quickly to get into his block. He has great natural snap in his hips on contact, and he'll consistently drive his opponent off the line of scrimmage. When having to go out into space, he's the same player. He runs well, can adjust on the move, and break down to hit a moving target.

In pass protection, he is much the same, and that is dominant. He can set quickly and uses a very strong punch to jolt opponents and gain an advantage. His lateral agility is excellent, so he has no trouble playing versus wide speed rushers. He also has the quick feet needed to mirror an opponent through multiple moves. Joe's hand use is excellent for both the run and pass game. He concentrates on keeping his hands inside and seldom gets called for holding.

In short, there Is not much Joe Alt can't do. He will be a starting left tackle the day he gets drafted. How high does he go? There will be some teams that prefer Fashanu while others prefer Alt. They are both going high, and I highly doubt either one gets out of the Top 10. In my opinion, Fashanu may have a bit more upside, but Alt is as steady as you'll find and will be a quality starting tackle in the League