2024 LT class
 

We're about to the point where it's time to look at trading up for a long term LT.

Not just from an on field aspect, but from a financial spot.

Who we like this year?

Typically around 4-6 OT's taken in the first round of the NFL draft since 2018. Here are some ball park rankings rights now:

1. Joe Alt (Notre Dame)
2. Olumuyiwa Fashanu (Penn State)
3. J.C Latham (Alabama) *Right Tackle
4. Kingsley Suamataia (BYU)
5. Amarius Mims (Georgia) *Ankle surgery, to miss 4-6 weeks
6. Graham Barton (Duke)

Obviously lots of time for the rankings to change. I actually like Graham Barton quite a bit for a guy who I think might be reasonable to go after.

Joe Alt is an Andy Reid dream at LT>

Need a TE and WR more.

Yup - Alt seemed letter perfect.

But I ain't giving up 2 1st rounders for him and that's what it would cost.

I know the argument - it's do that or pay through the nose. I get it.

But lord, with the way this team uses its picks, I just can't get there.

We don't win the Super Bowl last year if we trade the McDuffie and Karlaftis picks for Ekwonu, Neal or Cross. And all those guys were seen as true blue-chip OT prospects.

And that's the kind of draft capital you're talking about here. Meanwhile Darrisaw has been about as good as any OT taken over the last few years and he was taken at 23.

I don't mind a 1st round OT - I don't like the idea of a top 10 guy at the cost of that kind of draft capital to get there.

I'm equivocally high on Graham Barton.

It would be interesting to see if they're able to tag and trade Jones (or Sneed) and recoup a pick or two.

Probably their best shot tbh. If Karlaftis really is this asskicker and FAU continues looking good then we might have a shot at it with a not so crazy drop off.

They could recoup some picks, use the money to go pay another DE and add some filler in the middle.

If Omenihu kicks ass then just up his contract, develop BJ Thompson and then draft more DL at some point in the draft.

I'm as pro keeping Chris Jones as anyone. I think it's easier to find the guys who' we would lose replacements than Jones.

But if I could parlay Jones into a young starting LT on a rookie deal, I would be very interested in it.

Like if I could have Alt and for arguments sake, Chase young (or Josh Uche) I think that's a pretty easy move to make.

Why am I watching Alt film cutups? There's no chance he's a Chief right?

Same issue as hoping we have a chance at Harrison Jr. I mean, Alt is the top LT prospect in the draft.

If we assume Chicago has two picks inside the top 5 with one as the top overall, as it currently stands, then I'm guessing they are going to roll with Caleb Williams and the top LT available and set a foundation offensively for the future. It's clear, at least to anyone with eyeballs, that their current QB is not the solution.

I don't follow much draft stuff this early, but I did listen to Dan Brugler's podcast about a month ago, and he and Nate Tice were lower on Alt. They had him as the 4th OT, and see him as a late 1st/early 2nd guy. This is the podcast, it's cued up to the section on Alt.

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Also he had the top 5 OTs as:

1. Olu Fashanu (Penn State)
2. Amarius Mims (Georgia)
3. JC Latham (Alabama)
4. Joe Alt (Notre Dame)
5. Patrick Paul (Houston)