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Why the Green Bay Packers drafted NC State OT Anthony Belton in the second round

image_6483441 (3)by:Noah Fleischman•about 12 hours•

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Anthony Belton
© Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

When Green Bay Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst arrived at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., NC State offensive tackle Anthony Belton caught his eye. His 6-foot-6, 336-pound frame is hard to miss, but how the Wolfpack lineman with the nickname “Escalade” moved was intriguing to the team’s top decision maker. 

It was Gutekunst’s first time seeing Belton on the field in person and he soon started to fit what the Packers were looking for in an offensive lineman. He has a large frame, yet still athletic enough to play nearly every position on the front in the NFL.

As Gutekunst continued to watch, especially in his ability to display his twitch at tackle, Belton started to vault up Green Bay’s draft boards.

Fast forward three months to the draft and Belton didn’t have to wait long to hear his name called. The Packers selected the longtime NC State starter with the 54th overall pick, a second round selection, on Friday night. 

“Anthony’s a huge man,” Gutekunst told reporters on Friday night. “He’s really versatile, which we really like. I think he’s got an ability to play all four positions — both tackles and both guard spots. He’s a mauler in the run game, he’s very athletic. He really checked a lot of boxes for us all the way through. 

“He had a great Senior Bowl and he was one of those guys that you just never know if you’ll be able to acquire.”

Belton was available for the Packers, and they were more than willing to take him with their first pick on Day 2. Now, Belton is the 30th NFL Draft pick since Dave Doeren took over with the Wolfpack and he’s the seventh offensive lineman to be selected over that time — the third-highest pick behind tackle Ikem Ekwonu (sixth overall in 2022) and center Garrett Bradbury (18th overall in 2019). 

Green Bay believes Belton can play all over the offensive line in the professional ranks, not limiting him to just tackle or guard. The Packers expect to put him at tackle in training camp, while having the luxury to slide him inside if the coaching staff believes that’s the best move for him and the team. 

Belton’s versatility was key in his selection, which was a round earlier than most mock drafts had him leading up to the day, but his unselfish behavior also played a pivotal role in Green Bay’s pick. Each time the Packers front office talked with NC State’s coaching staff about Belton, that stood out, which was later reaffirmed during his top-30 visit with the franchise. 

“He’s selfless,” Packers Vice President of Player Personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan said. “He wants to be a good teammate. Wherever we play him — guard or tackle — I think he’s willing to do whatever he needs to do to help us win. He’s an unselfish kid.”

While his maturity, which the Pack’s coaching staff watched grow throughout his tenure in Raleigh, stood out, Green Bay was in awe with his physical frame and toughness on the field. For a team that is looking to become a power run team behind standout running back Josh Jacobs, a large offensive line is key. 

Belton fits the mold of what the Packers were looking for to add competition to their offensive line room going into the 2025 season. Add in Belton’s knack for winning his 1-on-1 battles — he allowed just 12 quarterback pressures, leading to three total sacks this past season — and Green Bay couldn’t wait to draft him.

“The one thing that you could see early in his career and throughout, he can play and dominate vs. power,” Sullivan said. “When guys try to play down his middle, his ability to anchor and play big-man football, you can’t play through him. … As he’s grown as a player, you’ve seen the footwork improve. He’s matured as a player and as a person.

“He’s checked all the boxes along the way. We feel really good with what we got.”

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