Everyone expected the Green Bay Packers to take an offensive lineman in this draft. Most assumed it would be an offensive tackle or someone with the versatility to play tackle or guard. Those assumptions were proven true, and far earlier than what most analysts predicted.
Green Bay’s selection of Anthony Belton in the second round shows how they view the offensive line moving forward.
Let’s start with Belton.
Green Bay is getting a massive offensive lineman in Belton. Listed at 6’6”, 336 lbs., Belton was nicknamed “Escalade” at North Carolina State, and there’s even a video of him pushing an SUV that surfaced online.
It’s no surprise that Belton uses his strength to bully defensive linemen around the field.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com summed it up nicely.
Belton is an enormous tackle with good power and long arms. He can bulldoze the roads clean for running backs but needs to play with better hand placement to sustain his early lead. Belton has the length to shove rushers up and around the pocket but his punch timing is inconsistent and he lacks the body control to consistently respond to inside counters.
The vast majority of mock drafts and analysts had Belton going in the third round. Some considered Belton going in the second a reach. However, if there’s one position group we shouldn’t question Green Bay on when it comes to drafting and developing, it’s the offensive line.
Green Bay has repeatedly shown that it thrives on developing offensive linemen. The Packers drafted all five of last year’s starters, none of whom were former first-round picks.
Now, for the broader viewpoint.
By drafting Belton this early, the Packers have shown how they view the offensive line taking shape starting in 2026. You don’t draft someone in the second round at any position with the expectation that they will be a suitable backup for their career.
Right tackle is simple. Zach Tom has evolved into an All-Pro-caliber right tackle and is due a huge contract extension at some point this offseason. Once the Packers get it done, Tom will be among the highest-paid RTs in the NFL.
The Packers recently signed Aaron Banks to a four-year, $77 million deal with $27 million guaranteed. He played exclusively at left guard in the NFL and will remain in Green Bay for the long run. LG is also solidified.
Veteran Elgton Jenkins is sliding over from left guard to center. He has two years left on his contract, and then we’ll see what Green Bay opts to do once he’s eligible for a new deal at age 32. But, for now, center is locked in.
That leaves left tackle and right guard.
Rasheed Walker and Sean Rhyan started at those spots last year, but both are entering contract years. With Banks signing a big contract and all signs pointing towards Tom getting a pricy new deal, are the Packers really going to pony up more big money in the same offseason for two other spots? Highly unlikely.
That’s where Belton and Jordan Morgan enter the frame.
Morgan was a first-round pick last year. He played left tackle at Arizona, but Green Bay opted to try him out at right guard and occasionally shuffle him in for Rhyan before injuries cut Morgan’s rookie campaign short.
Matt LaFleur has already announced that Morgan and Walker will have an open competition for the starting left tackle spot this offseason. In an ideal world, the Packers would prefer their 2024 first-round pick to win the gig. Regardless, they will give Morgan ample opportunity to get a starting spot up front.
Belton started three years at left tackle for North Carolina State, but there’s also a thought he could slide in at guard. If not in 2025, Belton will surely get a crack in 2026 to win the gig at either left tackle or right guard.
The writing is on the wall. This upcoming season will more than likely be the last for Walker and Rhyan in Green Bay. Starting in 2026 and moving left to right on the offensive line, the O-line will likely be Belton or Morgan at left tackle, Banks at left guard, Jenkins at center, Belton or Morgan at right guard, and Tom at right tackle.
Had the Packers waited to pick a lineman or tackle until the sixth or seventh round, there would be more optimism about either Walker or Rhyan sticking around. Now, it seems highly unlikely.
Green Bay has invested a premium pick in the offensive line in the last two drafts. Both could be backups in 2025, but that won’t be the case in 2026. The Packers have shown their hand.
