Twin Cities native Joe Alt is the first OL picked in 2024 NFL Draft
FILE - Notre Dame offensive lineman Joe Alt (76) during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Pittsburgh Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, in South Bend, Ind. Alt is a possible first round pick in the NFL Draft. (AP Photo/Michael Caterina, File)
Quarterbacks and other “skill position” players typically dominate the top of the NFL Draft but a Minnesota native became the first offensive lineman picked on Thursday night.
Joe Alt, a North Oaks native who starred at Totino-Grace High School, was picked fifth overall by the Los Angeles Chargers. KSTP Sports caught up with Alt during the lead-up to the draft in February.
He was widely considered the top offensive lineman in the draft after a standout collegiate career at Notre Dame, where he was a two-time All-American in just three seasons. He’s still just 21 but the 6-foot-9, 320-pound tackle will now be tasked with protecting NFL quarterbacks.
2024 Minnesota Vikings NFL Draft Tracker
Several other players with Minnesota ties may hear their names throughout the draft.
The University of Minnesota continues to produce multiple NFL prospects, with Gophers safety Tyler Nubin and tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford at the top of the list. Others, including wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell and defensive tackle Kyler Baugh, could be late picks or undrafted signings.
Outside of Spann-Ford, a St. Cloud native, other Minnesota natives looking to get drafted this weekend are Nebraska defensive back Omar Brown, a Minneapolis native, and Apple Valley High School alum Spencer Rolland, an offensive lineman who split his collegiate career between Harvard and North Carolina.
Follow KSTP’s complete draft coverage here.