NEWSLETTER
Caleb Williams doesn’t have the only Pro Day worth keeping tabs on as we build up to the 2024 NFL Draft.
For instance, we should be keeping an eye on what is happening at Notre Dame. Chicago Bears Co-Director of Player Personnel Trey Koziol and Offensive Line Coach Chris Morgan are watching things in South Bend…
… and it has me thinking about Joe Alt as a possible first-round target for the Bears.
Who is Joe Alt?
Back in February, NFL Network analytics expert Cynthia Frelund put together an analytically-leaning mock draft. In it, she had the Bears passing on a quarterback to take Joe Alt with the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. It was bold and outside-of-the-box at the time. But now that we know the Bears are taking a quarterback (most likely Caleb Williams) after Justin Fields’ departure, perhaps the Notre Dame tackle makes more sense as a draft target with the team’s *OTHER* first-round pick.
Here’s what Frelund had to say about picking Alt:
Alt just passes receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. in immediate impact for the Bears’ O-line, which allowed their QBs to be pressured at the highest rate in the league last season (45.1 percent). This helps to show the value of the Bears’ first-round equity, which will allow them to move all over the board if they want to.
Frelund also notes two important things about Alt. First, he is a lower-risk prospect with a high floor. Plus, Alt is still young (he just turned 21 at the end of February). That combination in tandem with his résumé (All-American status in 2022 & 2023) and measurables (6-8, 321 pounds, 34 1/4 inch arms, 10-inch hands) makes Alt an intriguing Bears target.
Is Joe Alt a good fit for the Bears?
My feelings regarding Joe Alt as a Bears target are mixed. On the one hand, you can’t have too many offensive linemen. Plus, pairing a rookie QB with a stud offensive tackle is the kind of thing you’d ideally want to do in the team-building process. However, I don’t know how much of an upgrade Alt would be over current left tackle Braxton Jones. And it makes me wonder if the Bears are better off targeting a player at a position of need.
There are still five weeks until the NFL Draft. In other words, we have ample time to hash out Chicago’s options. General Manager Ryan Poles can go in a variety of different directions with that No. 9 pick. One such option could include bolstering the offensive line. But it isn’t the only option.
The Bears could easily decide on improving the other side of the trenches. For example, Alabama pass rusher Dallas Turner could be on their radar. Turner already has a pre-draft visit with Chicago in his future. And even though the team just swung a trade for wide receiver Keenan Allen, it is possible that LSU’s Malik Nabers or Washington’s Rome Odunze falls into the Bears’ laps. Could you imagine an offense with Allen, D.J. Moore, and one of those two rookies lining up together? That is the stuff dreams are made of when you’re imagining your ideal offseason. And, yes, trading the pick is still on the table.
All in all, I like that the Bears have options. I’ve gotten so used to them prioritizing need over taking the best player available. Only now am I allowing myself to envision them doing what good, smart teams do. And that is take the best player available regardless of position. Maybe it is Joe Alt. Or maybe it is someone else. I’m eager to find out.
