Quarterbacks and wide receivers have been the popular selections for the New York Giants in mock drafts this offseason. But in Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus’s recent mock draft, he had them going in a different direction.
Giants take Notre Dame OT Joe Alt in latest PFF mock draft:
Rather than settling for the fourth-best quarterback or third-best wide receiver prospect in this mock draft, Palazzolo had the Giants taking Notre Dame’s Joe Alt, the best offensive tackle in the draft class:
“The NFL draft is all about finding players with size, speed and strength who have the IQ to use those traits optimally,” Palazzolo explained. “That’s Joe Alt, and that should spell a top-10 selection as a future long-term tackle.”
Alt was the first tackle off the board in this PFF mock draft. Palazzolo had Big Blue staying put with the No. 6 pick in the draft and taking Alt, rather than trading up for a quarterback or wide receiver.
What could Alt bring to the Giants?
Many scouts and analysts consider Alt to be the best offensive line prospect in this year’s draft class. The Notre Dame tackle is an elite athlete, standing in at 6-foot-8, 321 pounds, and having run a 5.05s 40-yard dash at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine. He posted a relative athletic score (RAS) of 9.91, which ranks 13 out of 1,330 offensive tackles from 1987 to 2024.
According to PFF, Alt is one of just two FBS offensive tackles with a grade of 85.0+ in both pass-blocking and run-blocking over the past two years. He allowed only five pressures in 12 games in 2023. Alt is only 20 years old and has the potential to be a dominant force at the next level.
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Why drafting Alt might not be the best move for Big Blue:
But as great of a prospect as Alt is, drafting an offensive lineman might not be in the Giants’ best interests. The Giants currently have two first-round picks and a second-round pick on their starting offensive line. They have allocated far more draft capital to the offensive line than any other team in the NFL since 2020. Rather than adding more offensive line talent in the first round of this year’s draft, the Giants should focus on developing the talent they already have on their roster.
Complicating matters even further, Alt has spent his entire career playing left tackle — a position the Giants have already solidified with second-team All-Pro Andrew Thomas. Moving Alt to right tackle could make his transition to the NFL a rocky one, as seen with 2022 first-round pick Evan Neal. The Alabama product has been a draft bust so far despite being an excellent prospect coming out of that draft. Switching positions may have hampered his growth.
If New York wants to take an offensive tackle, they could aim to do so in the later rounds of this year’s draft. This class is considered to be strong on the offensive line and, considering the Giants have built a capable starting five this offseason, they should focus on targeting depth and long-term starters through the draft rather than immediate upgrades.