Joe Alt projected as top OL selected in Mel Kiper Jr.’s first 2024 mock draft

Joe Alt has been one of the top offensive linemen in football since ascending to the starting left tackle job for Notre Dame. Now, he’s preparing for the 2024 NFL Draft and should be one of the top selections in April.

On Tuesday, ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released his initial

first-round mock for the draft. While the top of Kiper’s mock draft includes a run on quarterbacks and wide receivers, Alt headlined the offensive linemen as the first tackle selected.

Kiper is currently projecting Alt to the Tennessee Titans with the No. 7 overall pick. Per Kiper’s analysis, the Titans are likely to give rookie QB Will Levis a chance as the starter in 2

024, but the team needs plenty of help to improve the roster.

Grabbing Alt would give Tennessee a chance to pair him as the franchise’s left tackle to go with 2023 first-round pick Peter Skoronski:

I keep staring at the Titans’ depth chart and wondering whether they should go back to the O-line, though. They took Peter Skoronski at No. 11 a year ago and played him mostly at guard, where he was just OK. Why not solidify the left tackle spot with the top two tackles in this class on the board? Alt was the definition of a stalwart on the left side of Notre Dame’s line, where he started 33 games. He gave up just two sacks over the past two seasons. Tennessee ranked 31st in the rate of sacks per dropback (11.1%) in 2023, so putting Levis in a better position to succeed should be a priority.

When it’s all said and done, Alt might be the surest prospect in the entire drive. His body of work speaks for itself as a durable and reliable cog on the offensive line, and he should have a solid transition to the next level.