Escalade, No. 22 Player in 2026, Moves Into Fast Lane

Packers On SI is counting down the Green Bay Packers’ top 25 players for the 2026 season. This series continues with our No. 22 player, Anthony Belton.

At North Carolina State, Anthony Belton was nicknamed “Big Escalade” because of his combination of size and smooth movement ability.

A left tackle in college, he was locked in at tackle throughout his rookie training camp. Every snap in three preseason games came at right tackle. Finally, during the Week 12 game against Minnesota, the coaches inserted Belton at right guard.

As offensive line coach Luke Butkus said at the start of the offseason program in May: “His mentality of trying to go through people, of finishing, really love that.”

Why Anthony Belton Is So Important

Players like Belton are the lifeblood for draft-and-develop teams like the Packers.

First, the draft part: Belton was a second-round pick last year. Second-round picks are expected to be starters, and that will be the case for Belton. Now, the develop part. Including the playoffs, Belton started seven games at right guard. His play was inconsistent, to say the least. He must, at least, develop into a solid starter. 

“Last year, just being able to play as a rookie, I learned a lot,” Belton said recently. “I learned a lot about the process, preparation. Just what comes with it. I was able to get acclimated, so now I know what to expect going into this year. Knowing what I need to work on.

“There were a lot of ups and downs that I had, but now I feel like I’m in a position where I can think less and do more. Because last year was more coming in as a rookie and trying to finally figure out what’s going on versus now it’s more I can observe and take information in better.”

Anthony Belton’s Strengths and Weaknesses 

Belton’s strength is his size and strength, which is obviously an asset in the run game. At the 2025 Scouting Combine, he measured 6-foot-3 and 336 pounds. He spent the offseason – and will continue during the break between minicamp and training camp – trying to lose some weight while gaining strength.

“I focused on getting muscle put back on me, getting stronger,” he said. “I was doing a lot of weight room stuff getting my lower body under me for some of the stuff that happened last year.”

Where Belton must get better is pass protection. Pro Football Focus didn’t charge him with any sacks but he gave up a steady stream of pressures. During his six regular-season starts at right guard, he was charged with 19 pressures – more than any other guard during that span.

For context, Part 1: Elgton Jenkins gave up 16 pressures over the course of a full season in 2024. For context, Part 2: Belton was the 51st pick of the draft. The Lions took Tate Ratledge with the 57th pick. In eight games at right guard (including Minnesota in Week 12 and the playoffs), Belton gave up 26 pressures in 263 pass-protecting snaps. In 17 games, Ratledge gave up 24 pressures in 648 pass-protecting snaps at right guard.

A quarterback’s worst enemy is up-the-middle pressure. Belton must be much better in order for the passing game to take flight.

“Is there a lot to clean up? Absolutely, and he’ll be the first one to tell you that, but to get that experience of playing in the National Football League, at guard, (was invaluable),” Butkus said. “They’re on you a little bit faster. Tackle there’s a little bit more space, so just the little details of that position. But the fundamentals of blocking, they stay the same.”

What Happens If Anthony Belton Gets Hurt

The Packers have a couple of options. Jacob Monk was a fifth-round pick in 2024. He got his first real opportunity during last year’s Week 18 game at Minnesota, when he played well at center.

Monk missed the entire offseason due to a biceps injury sustained in the playoffs. That opened the door for this year’s fifth-round pick, Jager Burton. He seemed to play well at all three interior positions during the offseason practices, but that comes with the obvious caveat that line play during OTAs barely resembles line play when the pads are on and the action is live.

Why We Ranked Anthony Belton Here 

Any starting player, obviously, is important. Belton’s got a chance to be a really good player, though. His improvement will be critical to the offense. It’s hard to see Green Bay’s offense taking flight if Belton isn’t considerably better.

“Oh, man. You see him right?” Butkus said when asked what he likes about Belton. “His size and the way he moves, he is athletic and he is big.”

Coaches love to talk about the Year 2 jump. Belton had a so-so rookie season. The hope – no, the belief – is that Belton will take a big jump.

Belton “stepped in there at the right guard spot and brought a different type of physicality to us, aggressiveness. Love the way he finishes,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “Really excited to see where his career takes him. I think he’s going to be an impactful player for us moving forward. Still a ton of room for improvement but I thought for a rookie and what we asked him to do, he did a really nice job.”

His talent is obvious. Now, it’s the experience. He learned guard on the fly last season. Now, by the time the season kicks off, he will have had a full offseason and training camp to learn the finer points.

“It kind of slowed down, the playbook, in my mind a little bit,” Belton said. “Just able to think faster and go instead of being hesitant.”

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