After primarily playing left tackle in college, Packers rookie Anthony Belton is expected to develop versatility at right tackle and guard in the NFL, according to WISC-TV’s Jason Wilde.
At this point, learning a new position is practically a rite of passage for rookie offensive lineman in Green Bay. Former general manager Ted Thompson established a pattern of drafting college left tackles and developing them at other spots along the O-line in the NFL. A few, like David Bakhtiari, stayed at LT, but most, like Bryan Bulaga and JC Tretter, flipped to right tackle or moved inside to guard.
Thompson’s successor, Brian Gutekunst, has continued the draft-and-convert practice during his tenure. Since 2020, eight of his 14 offensive line picks have been college left tackles, though only current starter Rasheed Walker has remained on the blind side in the pros.
The reasoning is simple: college programs often put their best, most athletic offensive linemen at left tackle. Those players may not always have the size – in particular, arm length – to stay at tackle in the NFL, but they typically have better physical tools than prospects at other positions. The Packers then develop those athletic traits into starting-quality performance at other spots while maintaining a steady supply of backup left tackles, one of the league’s most important positions.
“That’s been a big emphasis for us,” said Gutekunst (via Wilde). “We like to have guys that can play both. You’re either going to be a tackle/guard swing guy, a guard/center swing guy or a tackle/center swing guy. You’ve got to be able to play multiple spots.”
The Packers hope that Belton will fit into one of those three categories, most likely the first. With a 6-foot-6, 336-pound frame and 34.625-inch arms, he has prototypical size for left tackle, where he played all but 11 of his snaps at North Carolina State over the last three years, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). That could keep Belton at OT in Green Bay, backing up right tackle Zach Tom as a rookie and potentially succeeding him when his contract expires at the end of the season. (Walker is also in the last year of his contract; if he leaves Green Bay in 2026, Belton would be a candidate to replace him.) Belton’s power and length would also be beneficial at guard, though he may be too big to add snapping the ball as a center to his repertoire.
The Packers drafted another college left tackle this year in Cincinnati’s John Williams, who started 12 games on the blind side in each of the last two years. He has no experience along the interior, but will likely be asked to learn at least one new O-line position in Green Bay this summer.