The consensus on Joe Alt ranks him as a top-three tackle in this year’s draft class
Fill in the blank: The New York Jets’ most pressing need this offseason is _____________.
If you didn’t answer offensive tackle, you haven’t watched the Jets play this season. While their tackle woes aren’t the only reason they are 6-10, it ranks as the top reason. Between Mekhi Becton on the left and the Max Mitchell/Billy Turner/Carter Warren revolving door on the right, the tackle spot has made their quarterbacks’ lives very difficult and wasted Breece Hall’s elite talent.
Considering the dearth of top-tier free agent tackles, the Jets will likely try to fill one spot in the draft. Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt is listed as the No. 8 prospect on NFL Mock Draft Database’s Consensus Big Board. While mock drafts are never reliable, the aggregate of many mock drafts tends to approximate what the draft will look like.
As part of our draft series, let’s dive into Alt’s numbers and film to answer whether he could be the Jets’ answer at left tackle.
Background
Alt’s father John played for 13 years with the Kansas City Chiefs and was a two-time Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro.
Alt was a tight end in high school before gaining 100 pounds. He took over as Notre Dame’s starter at left tackle in his true freshman season in 2021. He started eight total games that season before starting 13 in 2022 and 12 so far in 2023. A was named a first-team All-American this season after earning second-team honors in 2022.
Alt stands at 6-foot-8 and 322 pounds. He will turn 21 in February. His frame is not quite filled out yet, giving him room to build strength at the NFL level.
Despite his young age, Alt has a reputation as a leader in the locker room. He is a team captain and reportedly mentored newer offensive linemen on the team. That is something the Jets always look for in their draft picks.
Statistics
In 2023, Alt’s 1.4% pressure rate ranks second-best out of 198 qualified FBS tackles (min. 350 pass-blocking snaps). He has allowed five pressures, two quarterback hits, and one sack the entire season, albeit on just 368 pass-blocking snaps. His 3% true pass set pressure rate ranks seventh.
Furthermore, Alt’s 1% adjusted pressure rate (adjusting for an average true pass set rate) is the best among all FBS tackles. This is because his 45.1% true pass set rate is the 11th-highest among tackles. The NFL average for true pass sets is 49%, which means that Alt is far closer to an NFL distribution of play type than many other FBS tackles. For reference, the true pass set rate of Penn State’s Olu Fashanu, widely considered the top tackle prospect, is 37.2%. Alt has shown his capabilities in a far more difficult context.
Alt’s Pro Football Focus run-blocking grade is also excellent, ranking second out of 159 qualifiers (min. 300 run-blocking snaps) with an 86.5 grade. This includes a 90.3 zone grade (third) and a 75.4 gap grade (sixth). He has a 40.3%-53.8% split between zone and gap-blocking. For the Jets, who still love their zone-blocking scheme despite evidence that it is not as effective as other run schemes, Alt checks the box.
In terms of penalties, Alt’s 356 snaps per penalty ranks 30th out of 187 tackles (min. 650 block snaps). He’s not an outrageously penalized player.
The 2023 numbers above are relatively similar to Alt’s marks in 2022. He had an identical 1.4% pressure rate in 2022 after posting a 2.7% mark in 2021. He had a 90.8 run-blocking grade in 2022 after beginning at 77.3 in 2021. His 807 snaps per penalty in 2022 and 522 in 2021 were better than this year’s. Still, he has four penalties total on 2,041 block snaps, or one per 510 snaps, which would rank 16th this season.
Apparently, Alt made a jump from good in his freshman season to excellent in his sophomore year and maintained that level of play as a junior.
Film
Alt’s biggest issue showing up on film is his susceptibility to the bull rush. He often allows the defender to hit him first and drive him deeper into the pocket. Although he usually recovers, this can cause a skittish or inexperienced quarterback to abandon the pocket. It will also allow pass rushers coming from the opposite side to squeeze the pocket and leave the quarterback with nowhere to go. His vulnerability against the bull also shows up in the run game at times.
Alt does a nice job on stunts, at times using his drag hand to effectively diagnose them.
He is not 100% consistent in the run game, but when he uses his long arms properly, he can completely stonewall defenders.
One other thing that sometimes comes up in Alt’s evaluation is that he doesn’t have that nasty instinct teams love in offensive linemen. Some of the run plays above demonstrate that he can be quite powerful at times, regardless of his need to destroy his opponent.
Summary
While Fashanu has the best reputation as a left tackle and is likely a better pass-blocker than Alt, Alt is the more complete player. If the Jets remain at No. 8, they likely will not be able to draft him, as he’ll probably be the first or second tackle off the board. Still, if he’s available when New York comes on the board, they should run up with his name.
JD will have a lot of pressure to draft an offensive tackle (unless he signs one in FA and designates AVT at RT). Alt would be a good one and he has room to grow. JD may also trade down to pick up a second rounder he lost to GB and possibly get Fuaga or Mims.