The Los Angeles Chargers made Joe Alt the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, looking to strengthen their offensive line. On Monday, the team signed him to a four-year deal that will pay him handsomely.
Joe Alt, one of the best overall prospects in the nation while playing at Notre Dame, figures to slot in as the Chargers' right tackle in Week 1. With Rashawn Slater at left tackle, the team has an imposing duo. Alt stands 6-foot-9 and weighs 321 pounds. He will be a force to be reckoned with, even as a rookie.
Alt will go down as the first player selected by Jim Harbaugh as Chargers head coach and the first player chosen by Joe Hortiz as the team's general manager. Picks like that can always be looked at with a magnifying glass at some point down the road, but Alt is as close to a sure thing as there was in this draft class.
Joe Alt signs four-year rookie contract with Chargers
Chargers signed the draft’s No. 5 overall selection, OT Joe Alt, to a four-year, $33.2 million deal that includes a signing bonus of $20.9 million.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 10, 2024
The terms of the deal are great for Alt, who will get nearly $21 million as a signing bonus. Last year, Paris Johnson, the first offensive tackle selected in the draft (Arizona Cardinals) signed a four-year, $28 million deal. The year before that, the first offensive tackle taken, Ekem Okwonu (Carolina Panthers), got four years and $27.5 million.
Alt will make life much easier for Justin Herbert as he moves forward with a different receiving corps.
So glad I’m retired cause ain’t no way 😂 pic.twitter.com/qqIDmFOTM7
— Shawne Merriman (@shawnemerriman) June 10, 2024
Former Chargers pass-rush specialist Shawne Merriman certainly seems to know what's up.
Alt agrees to his deal on the eve of the team holding minicamp over the course of the next three days.
