GREEN BAY — Anthony Belton and Josh Conerly crossed paths a few times during the lead-up to the 2025 NFL Draft — as teammates on the National team at the annual Senior Bowl, at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

So while Belton had plenty to worry about himself in the Green Bay Packers’ 27-18 win over the Washington Commanders on Thursday night — namely, making his first NFL start in place of one of the best right tackles in the game, Zach Tom — the Packers rookie second-round draft pick wasn’t oblivious to the challenging night Conerly was having for the Commanders.

Conerly, Washington’s first-round pick, was starting at right tackle, too — and with five-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil at left tackle, it was a pretty easy call for Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to line up his brand new star edge rusher, Micah Parsons, over the unproven rookie Conerly instead of the decorated vet Tunsil.

According to Pro Football Focus, Conerly gave up two sacks and seven pressures on the night.

“I feel like, [when there’s] a rookie out there, I feel like any team is going to try to [target him] because he’s a younger player,” Belton said Monday after the Packers (2-0) returned to practice following their mini-bye week and began prepping for Sunday’s matchup with the Cleveland Browns (0-2) at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland. “They expect the inexperience.

“I think that’s normal — and I expect it to happen [to me].”

That’s right, with Tom’s status unclear for Sunday, Belton is in line to start his second straight game. And if he does, it’s a safe guess that Browns six-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Myles Garrett will spend most of the afternoon trying to get the better of Belton.

“Everybody knows Myles Garrett,” Belton said. “You ain’t seeing nothing like that in college.”

Tom, who suffered an oblique injury when he landed hard on his hip following a nullified Jordan Love interception in the season-opening win over the Detroit Lions, did not participate in Monday’s practice, although he did do some rehabilitation work and did so with his helmet — a sign that a player is close to returning to action.

While head coach Matt LaFleur was pleased with what he saw from Belton against the Commanders, obviously he’d be more comfortable with the experienced Tom, who signed a four-year $88 million contract extension during training camp.

After all, with his own elite pass rusher on his roster in Parsons, LaFleur knows what the Browns will do if Tom can’t go.

“He’s a game-wrecker,” LaFleur said of Garrett, who is in his ninth NFL season and has 106 career sacks. “You’ve got to be really intentional about what you’re trying to get done, because if you have a bad matchup, forget about it. This guy can make it ugly in a hurry.

“You’ve got to be really conscious of where he is aligning first of all, but also what you’re asking your guys to do.” 

Asked how the Packers offense can contain Garrett if Tom isn’t available, LaFleur replied, “Well, it’s not like we’re just going to throw in the towel and give up. We’ll come up with something.”

Against the Commanders, LaFleur initially intended to rotate Belton with Darian Kinnard, whom the Packers acquired at the end of training camp in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2027 sixth-round draft pick.

Belton started and was flagged for a holding penalty on the opening drive, which wiped out a 39-yard Love-to-Jayden Reed touchdown pass. Kinnard worked the Packers’ second and fourth possessions, but after halftime the coaches decided to go with Belton exclusively.

Belton ended up playing 51 of the Packers’ 68 offensive snaps while Kinnard played the other 17 — slightly surprising since the short week meant the Packers didn’t have any full-fledged practices, only walkthroughs.

“I thought both those guys went in and did what they needed to do,” LaFleur said. “Outside of the one penalty, I thought [Belton] played really solid football. He was physical. He was straining. There was great effort.

“For his first game, especially a game where there’s no live practice, I thought he went in there and did a really outstanding job.”

The Packers were also without starting left guard Aaron Banks (groin/ankle) against the Commanders after Banks suffered both injuries during the second half of the win over the Lions when he was rolled up on at the end of a play.

LaFleur said Banks was “doing better” on Monday but that “whether or not he’s ready for Sunday remains to be seen.”

Banks, however, said after sitting out Monday’s practice that he expects to play against the Browns.

“I feel good, as far as the injuries,” Banks said. “[Expletive] happens, things you can’t do anything about. There are some things I would have done differently on the play I got hurt, but hindsight’s 20/20.

“But I feel good. I’m good to go for this week.”

Belton believes he’s good to go, too, even as he knows the daunting task he faces if he fills in for Tom again.

“You’ve just got to trust your training, trust your preparation, stay on top of what you’ve got to do to make sure you’re prepared to feel confident with what’s going on out there,” Belton said.

“If you have a bad play, you can’t really dwell on it because that’s not going to do nothing but slow your mind down and affect the rest of your game. You try your best to forget about it and not let it happen again.”

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