Picking Anthony Belton of North Carolina State was very interesting by the Green Bay Packers in the second round. Belton was one of the most active players, from a pre-draft visits perspective, toward the end of the draft cycle. While many had him ranked as a third- or fourth-round pick, expert mock drafts started to sneak him into the second round.
Personally, based on the scouting report I wrote earlier this month, I think Belton’s future at the NFL level is going to come at guard. With that being said, the continued addition of offensive line talent makes the Packers’ plan at the position clear: They really don’t have the appetite to pay Rasheed Walker and Sean Rhyan, two 2024 starters who are on expiring contracts.
Be it in 2025 or not, the preferred future of the position is clearly (left to right): Jordan Morgan, Aaron Banks, Elgton Jenkins, Anthony Belton and Zach Tom.
Green Bay also apparently wants to get bigger on the interior. Gone are the days of undersized tackles playing guard for the Packers. Now, Banks and Belton at over 325 pounds each. This could be a mentality change for Green Bay’s offense, which could focus more on the inside run game rather than runs and screens on the perimeter. That would help keep receivers out of the formation, allowing smaller receivers like Jayden Reed and first-round pick Matthew Golden to have less of an impact as key blockers.
Overall, I think that it was a tad bit early for Belton, especially considering the needs for the team at edge rusher, nose tackle and cornerback, but I do not dislike the player entirely — like I did with Ty’Ron Hopper last draft or selections like Amari Rodgers in the past. I’m going to give it a C to C+, all things considered.
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How would you grade the Anthony Belton pick?