Why Jim Harbaugh Has High Expectations For Joe Alt Entering Year 2

The Chargers Head Coach recently joined 'Chargers Weekly' to dive into the offensive line and where they stand heading into training camp

Jun 20, 2025 at 08:00 AM

Omar Navarro

Jr. Writer

Joe Alt aced his rookie season on all accounts, seamlessly holding down the right tackle spot on the Chargers offensive line to become one of the most exciting young linemen in the NFL.

And entering Year 2, Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh made it clear just how high he is on the player he could become.

"I think he's on track for a Hall of Fame type of career," Harbaugh said on the Chargers Weekly podcast with Matt "Money" Smith and Chris Hayre. "I do not feel like I'm going out on a ledge by saying that."

Alt started in 16 games for the Bolts as a rookie, finishing with a 94.3 percent pass-block win rate, according to ESPN, which was the fourth-highest mark among offensive tackles during last regular season.

The tackle also allowed a 6.9 percent pressure rate when aligned at right tackle in 2024, the eighth-lowest among players with at least 200 pass-block snaps at the position, according to Next Gen Stats.

But Alt has garnered praise throughout the offseason about the work he's put in ahead of his second season, and Harbaugh seconded the glowing reviews.

"As good as he was last year, I'd call him right now one of our most ascending players on the team," Harbaugh said. "He's that much better, that much improved."

He later added: "He is so strong now… ascending as much as any player on our team is Joe Alt going into Year 2."

The Bolts got a glimpse of what kind of offensive line the team could have during last week's minicamp.

With Alt at right tackle and Rashawn Slater at left, Harbaugh said it just felt different.

"Great to have Rashawn back," Harbaugh said. "Way better, way different, way good for the Chargers when he's here. That was obvious when he was here at the minicamp, looked great, tremendous shape."

Of course, the Bolts also added to the trenches with Mekhi Becton, who has been off and running during his first offseason program with the team.

"Been really excited with Mekhi Becton, just how big we are on the right side of the line of scrimmage," Harbaugh said. "We'll probably be a right-handed type of team."

But perhaps the biggest storyline as the team heads into training camp when it comes to the offensive line is the competition at guard and center.

Harbaugh said both Zion Johnson and Bradley Bozeman, who have been alternating reps at the two positions, have shown a ton during the offseason program.

While there is still time when the pads come on and the competition gets going, the Chargers Head Coach loves the options at their disposal.

"The versatility that we now have," Harbaugh said. "Maybe the combination is going to be better with Zion at center and Boze at guard, but if it's not, we know we have a great combination with Boze at center and Zion at guard.

"We feel like we're in a really good place," Harbaugh said.

Harbaugh also touched on the depth of the group past those five players.

"The exciting thing is there's guys really close to that starting five that will continue to keep having at it and will have a lot of time to show maybe that they could," Harbaugh said. "I don't see them displacing any of those five right now, if all were healthy, but Jamaree Salyer has had a tremendous offseason.

"He is almost all the way there in where he needs to get with his training and his body, and he's healthier than he was last year," Harbaugh continued. "Andre James has been a great addition And Trey Pipkins, who started for us at guard last year, everybody healthy, projecting be the swing tackle Trey.

"Tremendous value, we have a starting caliber offensive lineman who is our swing tackle is our plan right now," Harbaugh added. "That would be a healthy game in, game out, we know we have a swing tackle that if something happens to our two All-Pros, we've got a great player in Trey Pipkins.

Overall, Harbaugh was fired up about the depth and makeup of what's not a much deeper offensive trenches.

"I think we're way better," Harbaugh said. "It takes offensive linemen, most of the time, a year to physically develop, mature and understand the speed and the calls, and everything that goes into offensive line play.

"Our drafted offensive linemen and our free agent-signed offensive linemen, we're better in that 8 to 14 than we were last year," Harbaugh added. "Great guys to work with and develop, because it's rare."