Mel Kiper believes there's room for debate between Joe Alt, JC Latham as OT1 in NFL Draft

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper has changed little over the course of months in his mock drafts when it comes to who his No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2024 NFL Draft is, but there’s still room for debate. In Kiper’s latest mock, he predicts former Notre Dame star Joe Alt will go No. 7 overall, but at No. 13 overall, former Alabama tackle JC Latham is close behind.

“It’s debatable right now, it really is,” Kiper said on his post-combine show. “I think (Alt) will be certainly right there, but I keep bringing up the name… JC Latham. He’s the consummate right tackle. We all get caught up in, ‘Oh, can he be a left tackle,’ well, he says he can be a left tackle.

“The Chargers could move Joe Alt to right tackle, but Latham is already that. He played at Alabama at a high level… This is where you have to separate ratings from mock. I’m going to move Latham up because of the fact that he has that skillset. He played at a very high level. He did really well in the game against Michigan until he had a hiccup late. You remember that but you’ve got to filter those out, everybody has them.”

Despite having Latham outside of his top 10 selections in his latest mock draft, Kiper still believes Latham, like Alt, is one of the top 10 prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Joe Alt was without a doubt one of the nation’s very best offensive linemen last season. He was named a unanimous All-American in 2023. He was a critical piece to a Notre Dame offensive line that was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award–given each year to the nation’s top offensive line.

Chargers poised to take offensive tackle in first round

Meanwhile, for the Crimson Tide, JC Latham shined at right tackle. He only allowed two sacks during his career with Alabama.

Whichever tackle comes off the board first seems to be up to the LA Chargers who hold the No. 5 overall pick in the draft. That is, of course, unless they trade back in the draft, which would give them extra capital and likely allow them to secure Latham as their next starting right tackle at a lower-value pick.

ESPN draft analyst Field Yates likes the idea of the Chargers trading back in the draft.

“If they are going to take JC Latham, if that’s their intentions with their first pick, I like the player a lot,” Yates said. “He’s 16th on my overall big board. I would do everything that I could to move back from pick five to maybe closer to 10 or 12. Secure extra assets and then take JC Latham.”