© Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
One Week from 2024 NFL Draft, All Signs Point to Titans Selecting Notre Dame Tackle Joe Alt
Four quarterbacks could go in the NFL Draft's first four picks. The Los Angeles Chargers, at No. 5, also need an offensive tackle, but virtually all of the draft boards see Notre Dame giant Joe Alt and the Tennessee Titans matching up at No. 7.
NASHVILLE — One week from the 2024 NFL Draft, the predictions are all but unanimous: The Tennessee Titans will select Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt with the No. 7 overall pick.
Alt is actually the fifth-best player available, according to draft analysts such as Pro Football Focus, but a run on quarterbacks is expected to shake up the top five picks.
The Titans offensive line certainly could use the help. If Will Levis is to become the franchise quarterback that Tennessee is seeking, then Alt ideally would be Levis' blind-side protector for the rest of the decade.
Alt at left tackle potentially gives Levis the vital seconds he needs in the pocket to assess the defense and deliver passes to Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins.
ESPN's Mel Kiper is one of several draft experts who have consistently favored the Titans taking Alt: "We always hope for some curveballs, but we kind of locked in on the Tennessee Titans to Joe Alt. They need a left tackle. They got Will Levis, a promising young quarterback who showed well when he was forced in there with the Ryan Tannehill injury. And now you get a Joe Alt.
“Joe Alt showed improvement year in and year out. He had four sacks in 2021 and only two sacks in the last two years. He has great bloodlines with his father John. The improvement he showed is significant. Now he’s a consistent left tackle bookend who always keeps that frame between the quarterback and defensive end.”
Assuming the Titans select Alt, their No. 38 overall pick in the draft could be an opportunity to add more depth at wide receiver — such as Florida State's Keon Coleman or, with a little luck, Georgia's Ladd McConkey. If not a pass catcher, then perhaps a pass rusher (Marshawn Kneeland from Western Michigan) or another pass blocker (Houston offensive lineman Patrick Paul).
Titans general manager Ran Carthon has said several times that he's open to trade offers. He recently swapped the team's 2024 seventh-round pick (No. 227 overall) for former Cleveland Browns offensive lineman Leroy Watson. The Titans now have seven picks:
- Round 1 (7th overall)
- Round 2 (38th)
- Round 4 (106)
- Round 5 (146)
- Round 6 (182)
- Round 7 (242, 252)
Barring a seismic event, USC quarteback Caleb Williams is expected to go No. 1 to the Chicago Bears. Most draft boards have LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels and North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye going second and third in some order. Then it gets interesting.
Several mock drafts are projecting that the Minnesota Vikings among other teams could trade up to take Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
In a week, we'll see how this shakes out.
Latest mock drafts
Related Titans stories
- 6TH-HARDEST SCHEDULE: The Tennessee Titans' 2024 NFL schedule includes six games with AFC South rivals Houston, Jacksonville, and Indianapolis, plus 10 total games with AFC East and NFC North teams, as well as the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Chargers. CLICK HERE
- CALLAHAN WANTS THIRD RECEIVER TO STEP UP: The Tennessee Titans have 1,000-yard receivers in DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley, but coach Brian Callahan is publicizing a job opening for a slot receiver. CLICK HERE
- THE CONTINUING EDUCATION OF WILL LEVIS: In the process of learning a new system and executing at a high level, Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis can "help get the information to the other guys on the offense," says coach Brian Callahan. "And that's where you start to take on a leadership role." CLICK HERE
- DRAFT FLEXIBILITY: Tennessee Titans coach Brian Callahan feels good about the team's offseason moves: "As you add players of need in free agency, which is what free agency is for, the draft then opens up for you and you're able to take a bit more of an open-minded approach on what the best players are at those positions." CLICK HERE
