SOUTH BEND, Ind. (670 The Score) — Before taking the field Thursday to showcase himself to NFL coaches, executives and scouts, Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt was pulled off to the side.
Bears offensive line coach Chris Morgan wanted to meet with Alt, a potential option for Chicago in the first round. The message from Morgan to Alt was fairly straightforward.
“Just continue to be who I am and keep what’s important to me important,” Alt said. “Working hard and keep my head down. If you’re not getting better every day, you’re getting worse, and that’s something I've taken to heart and continued to work on.”
The Bears certainly see what could make Alt a coveted fit for their offensive line.
Alt was a three-year starter at Notre Dame, earning All-America honors in each of the past two seasons. The 21-year-old Alt is the son of John Alt, a 12-year NFL veteran and two-time Pro Bowl tackle with the Chiefs. Alt is widely considered to be one of the top offensive tackle prospects in this draft class.
“They always ask me, who’s the one (teammate) you’d take with me?” Notre Dame linebacker J.D. Bertrand said. “I say Joe Alt. I think it’s just his consistency and who he is. He comes from an NFL dad, and he already is a professional with how he acts, how he works throughout the day, how he takes care of his body and how he goes about his film and stuff. I could sell Joe Alt to you all day.”
Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman summarized Alt in simpler terms.
“He’s one of a kind,” Hartman said.
The Bears are expected to take USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, and they also hold the No. 9 pick, which is where Alt could be an option.
Last year, the Bears selected Darnell Wright with the No. 10 overall pick and quickly slotted him in as their starting right tackle. The 22-year-old Wright played nearly every snap while starting all 17 games in the 2023 season.
At left tackle, the Bears have a two-year starter in Braxton Jones, a fifth-round pick in 2022 who has played in 28 games across his first two NFL seasons. Jones, who missed six games in 2023 due to a neck injury, ranked 35th out of 81 tackles last season, according to Pro Football Focus' grading. He has established himself as a reliable NFL starter with the potential to keep improving.
“I do believe he’s a starting left tackle,” Bears general manager Ryan Poles said previously. “But if it comes down to a situation to increase competition and that’s what’s best for us, then we’ll do that. But I'm proud of Braxton.”
The Bears should have enticing options with the No. 9 pick. They have a need at edge rusher, and the likes of Jared Verse (Florida State), Laiatu Latu (UCLA) or Dallas Turner (Alabama) could address that. A dynamic wide receiver like Rome Odunze (Washington) or Malik Nabers (LSU) could also be available. Poles may even be drawn to trading down, a path that could help replenish the Bears' draft capital, as they currently hold just a third- and fourth-round pick in addition to their two first-round picks in 2024.
But given how Poles has worked to overhaul the offensive line during his tenure, there figures to be great appeal in selecting a player like Alt, which would secure two bookend tackles for the future.
If Alt is on the board for the Bears at No. 9, they can be confident in what they're getting.
“It’s that hard work factor, that’s work ethic,” Alt said. “I think that’s what’s I stand on, what’s most important to me, and I think that’s something teams see in me.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 .
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