Joe Hortiz reveals how close Chargers came to trading No. 5 pick

Los Angeles Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz just shared some inside information on the 2024 NFL Draft. While appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, the 48-year-old revealed how close the team was to trading the No. 5 overall pick.

“We had a couple calls, one probably on the clock or before the clock,” Hortiz said. “It was a great offer in terms of what they were offering. They weren’t trying to get up to five for cheap. But we felt where it would take us to just wouldn’t put us in a range of of players we really wanted to consider.

“The best move was to take Joe [Alt],” Hortiz continued. “We were all in on Joe. Everyone loved Joe. Everyone from myself, Jim [Harbaugh], all the scouts, all the coaches, John Spanos, we all were all in on Joe.”

Pat McAfee then asked Hortiz which team tried to trade with the Chargergs to get the No. 5 pick. “Well, I won’t tell you, but there were a lot of teams calling before the draft and one called me during the draft and while we’re on the clock and we just weren’t willing to move.”

Joe Hortiz explains why the Chargers picked Joe Alt

Alt was ranked the best offensive lineman in the draft. After the Chargers picked Alt, Hortiz explained to reporters what the team liked about him.

“You watch him come off the ball in the run game — obviously, we’re going to run the ball here — and he drives off the line of scrimmage,” Hortiz said, per the Chargers’ official website. “You watch him move players over three gaps.

“Very athletic, excellent range, high-level competitor,” Hortiz added. “Certainly an athlete as a pass protector. For a guy his size to bend and then recover … it was exceptional.”

Hortiz was also asked about trade offers. “We had a few calls leading up to the draft. We did have one call when we were on the clock,” Hortiz said. “We talked through it and ultimately didn’t feel like it was worth trading back and passing on Joe.”

Hortiz joind the Chargers this year after working in the Baltimore Ravens’ front office since 1998. He started as a personnel assistant and worked his way up to scout, director of college scouting and director of player personnel.

“When you’ve had the privilege of working with one organization your entire career, something that’s exceedingly rare in our business, the opportunity and fit has to pretty much be perfect to consider a change,” Hortiz said when he was hired by the Chargers in January. “This is that opportunity — the Chargers’ brand, the uniforms, foundational building blocks already on the roster, a new training facility, SoFi Stadium and a clear commitment from the Spanos family to dedicating every resource possible towards bringing a Lombardi trophy home to our fans; it’s all there.”