Standing at 6'6″, Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is the tallest quarterback currently playing in the NFL. Many would argue that Herbert's height gives him an advantage over many of his peers, as struggling to see over the big-bodied offensive linemen blocking in front of him is less of a concern than it would be for say, Russell Wilson, who is an inch under the six-foot mark. However, things changed for Justin Herbert when the Chargers used their top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on towering offensive tackle Joe Alt.
Joe Alt, the son of former two-time Pro Bowl tackle John Alt, measures at 6'8″, just like his father. And a man of that size is tough for even Justin Herbert to see around.
“We view offensive linemen as weapons, to have guys like that, especially at the right tackle position, is a mountain,” Herbert said, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “He’s a tough guy even for me to see over sometimes.”
Justin Herbert and the Chargers will have plenty of time to work through the unexpected challenges that having a right tackle as tall as Joe Alt presents. In the end, if Alt is as much of a sure-thing as Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers coaching staff believes he is, it's a challenge well worth working through.
Chargers have been high on Joe Alt since day one
Given the losses of wide receivers Mike Williams and Keenan Allen, there were many around the NFL who believed that the Chargers would be in business for a wide receiver with the 5th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, LA waited until the 2nd Round to grab Georgia wideout Ladd McConkey, and used their first selection on the best offensive lineman — and player — on their board.
“A player on the top of our board,” Jim Harbaugh said after the Chargers drafted Joe Alt back in April (h/t Eric Smith of Chargers.com). “Nobody was rated higher than Joe Alt when it came to our selection.” Harbaugh offered a passionate defense of the selection, noting that the Chargers view offensive linemen as weapons. It explains why Justin Herbert used the same language to describe Mount Alt.
“I know the question is going to come up, ‘What about a weapon?' Offensive linemen, we look at as weapons. That group, when we talk about attacking on offense, the offensive line is the tip of the spear.”
More recently, it's been Chargers new offensive coordinator Greg Roman who has been the most vocal about the rookie's fit in Los Angeles.
“He's got all the right stuff,” Greg Roman told Kris Rhim of ESPN.com. “He respects the veterans, guys that have done it before him; He's got a great demeanor about him, great work ethic, and he's the kind of guy you want in the foxhole with you.”
So long as it's a big enough foxhole for Joe Alt to fit in, that checks out.
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