One week away. Answers are finally coming on what the Chicago Bears have planned for the 2024 draft. One part of the puzzle is already know. There is a 99% probability they are taking Caleb Williams #1 overall. Most consider him the best quarterback in this class and it isn't all that close. GM Ryan Poles seems comfortable hitching his wagon to the USC star. After that, all eyes shift to the 9th overall pick. It represents another golden opportunity for the Bears to land a blue-chip talent. Plenty of names are viewed as possibilities: Rome Odunze, Dallas Turner, Jared Verse, Byron Murphy, and Malik Nabers. One that hasn't gotten much attention is Joe Alt.
The giant tackle from Notre Dame is widely viewed as the best offensive lineman in the draft. He's big, long, athletic, and a fine-tuned technician. Everybody believes he will start immediately and bookend any offensive line for a decade. While the Bears may not have a glaring hole at left tackle thanks to the presence of Braxton Jones, it's believed Alt would be a considerable upgrade. Longtime NFL draft expert and insider Daniel Jeremiah made it known he envisions a scenario where the Bears look to leapfrog Tennessee at #7 to snag Alt, giving Williams two 1st round tackles to protect him for years to come.
Joe Alt certainly fits the Bears' desired profile.
Poles has a preference for big athletes. He wants guys with size, length, and mobility. Alt is 6'8, 320 lbs, has 34-inch arms, and had a 1.73 in the 10-yard split, which was fourth-best among offensive tackles at the combine. He also had the sixth-best broad jump and best overall 3-cone drill. Suffice it to say Alt is a good athlete. He's the son of former Pro Bowl offensive lineman John Alt and learned under highly-regarded line coach Harry Hiestand at Notre Dame. Nobody is better prepared for the NFL.
The Bears' sticking point is that trade idea. They have so few picks this year (four). Moving up would require them to dip into their 2025 inventory, something Poles would not do unless he's 100% certain the player he's targeting is a "multiplier." That is somebody who makes everybody around him better. Is Joe Alt that kind of player? Left tackle is regarded as one of the premium positions in the NFL. If the Bears see a future All-Pro, then giving up a couple of extra picks to get him might be justified.
In truth, that feels unlikely. If he drops to #9, the Bears may absolutely take him. Otherwise, everything suggests they stay put or move down.
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