Most Interesting Prospects: North Carolina State offensive lineman Anthony Belton
More than half the league wants a look at Anthony Belton. There’s a lot to see.
Look, it feels a little untoward to fixate on how big a prospect is. The NFL Draft is enough of a meat market with uncomfortable undertones of bidding on the physical performance of young men, but physicality is a part of the game. Football is a game for big men, and the biggest and strongest are often the most qualified to do their jobs on the field.
And in a game designed for big guys with immense physical strength, Belton stands out. At 6-foot-6 and a somewhat dubious 336 pounds (he reportedly played the 2024 season around 360), Belton is big even among big men, and he has athleticism to boot.
The Packers have fairly strict athletic thresholds for identifying prospective offensive linemen. Belton meets them all. He’s quick off the line (he had a 10-yard split of 1.82 seconds in the 40-yard dash) and agile, posting times of 7.77 seconds and 4.69 seconds in the three-cone and short shuttle drills, respectively.
But what intrigues me most about Belton is his fit with the Packers. Belton played left tackle for NC State, but some think his best position in the NFL is at guard. Count me among them. I think Belton profiles as a road-grading monster of an interior lineman, similar to the recently signed Aaron Banks.
Banks played guard for Notre Dame while occasionally moonlighting at tackle, which is admittedly a bit of a different background than Belton. But what’s noteworthy about Banks is how he differs from the Packers’ previous priorities at guard. He is not the svelte, agile pass blocker that Elgton Jenkins is. He’s a mauler. His size and power are his most notable attributes, less so his efficiency as a blocker.
Belton profiles the same way. He’s a big, powerful man, and that makes him an intriguing prospect for a Packers team that seems to be prioritizing that exact kind of player on their offensive line.
Plus, Belton has great marketing potential. I’m proud of myself for making it this far into this piece without mentioning his nickname: Escalade. But that’s just a cool nickname! I want a cool nickname. And if the Packers decide to roll with Escalade, I’d be just fine with that.