There was a lot of debate about what the LA Chargers should do with the fifth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Ultimately, the Chargers decided to do the most shocking thing, staying put with the fifth pick to take Notre Dame's Joe Alt.
Fans assumed the Chargers would either trade down to draft a tackle or would take elite wide receiver prospect Malik Nabers. Drafting Nabers was arguably the most popular choice among the fanbase, so there was a small bit of disappointment when Alt's name was announced.
That is not to say that Alt won't be a great NFL tackle but there was simply far more excitement around Nabers coming into the league. Nabers is already delivering on that excitement with the New York Giants, who drafted him one pick after the Chargers, before even playing a game.
Nabers has turned in highlight-reel catch after highlight-reel catch thus far during Giants training camp. With every great play, Chargers fans are grimacing and hoping that the Alt pick will end up being the right one for the Bolts.
It should not come as a surprise at all that Nabers is tearing it up at Giants training camp. Nabers had all the traits of being a franchise-altering No. 1 wide receiver and the only reason he wasn't the top receiver in the class is because he came into the league with another generational wide receiver prospect, Marvin Harrison Jr.
Nabers and Harrison join Ja'Marr Chase as the best receiver prospects to enter the league in recent history (Justin Jefferson is obviously elite, but he was not a generational prospect in the draft itself). History proves Nabers will be great and he is showcasing that already for the Giants.
The Chargers are going to stand by their selection, especially considering what the team is trying to build. However, this does inherently shine a spotlight on Alt. Any time Nabers hauls in an impressive catch during the season, Chargers fans will be turning their attention to Alt to see how he performs.
If Nabers truly turns into an All-Pro-caliber receiver (which is a high bar), then Alt is going to have to be one of the best tackles in the entire sport to justify the selection. Even if Alt is an above-average right tackle, it won't nearly be enough if the alternative was a franchise wideout.
As camp continues to roll along Chargers fans are going to have to see even more highlight-reel clips coming out of Giants training camp. This is not the first insane Nabers clip to hit the internet, and it certainly won't be the last.
And during it all, Chargers fans are going to have to keep their fingers crossed and hope the team was right to draft a tackle instead.
