Drafted as a dominant road grader, Anthony Belton faces a shifting landscape as training camp battles and position changes threaten his "no-doubt" status with the Green Bay Packers.
We're officially 26 days from the start of the 2026 NFL season for the Green Bay Packers. Whether you're ready or not, football season is here.
The Packers kick off their 2026 season against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Sept. 13, from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Talk about pressure. The Vikings are certainly in a transitional place as a franchise, but getting going against an NFC North foe ratchets up the intensity of this season from the get-go.
It's a big season for the Packers. There's a belief that they're in a Super Bowl window right now, which means every single game is important. That means the intensity will be there in Week 2 at MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets and it will certainly be there in Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons, when the Packers will play at Lambeau Field for the first time in 2026.
There's going to be a lot of proverbial ink spilled on this 2026 season and we here at PackersRoundtable hope that you spend as much time as possible with us talking about the ins and outs and ups and downs of the Packers.
As we prepare for the 2026 season, though, we're going to kick things off with a rankings series looking at the Top 50 Packers heading into the 2025 season.
At No. 26, we have offensive lineman Anthony Belton
Ranking the Top 50 Packers Heading Into 2026: No. 26, Anthony Belton
Dec 14, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Green Bay Packers offensive tackle Anthony Belton (71) runs downfield during the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn ImagesHere's a bit of a peek behind the curtain as we look at Anthony Belton and his potential role in 2026 for the Packers. This list was largely developed before training camp, and Belton is in a much different position with the Packers a few weeks into training camp than he was heading in.
Heading in, the expectation was that Belton was the no-doubt starter at right guard. He started last season as a backup tackle but eventually became the full-time starter at right guard after Elgton Jenkins was injured.
Belton seemed to fit better at guard, where he was able to use his 6-foot-6, 336-pound frame and aggression to be a road grader in the run game for the Packers. The Packers selected him in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft with pick No. 54, so either way, guard or tackle, the expectations were high.
The issue for Belton in 2026 is that Matt LaFleur seems to think he's more natural at tackle, and the Packers already have two solid starters there in left tackle Jordan Morgan (we think) and right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele, formerly known as Zach Tom.
Belton is apparently also getting pushed at guard by 2024 fifth-round pick Jacob Monk and rookie Jager Burton.
This is not to say that Belton can't finish camp strong and remain the right guard of the future, but his stock has certainly fallen over the past few weeks.
2025 Synopsis:
PFF ranked Belton first amongst all NFL tackles last season with zero sacks allowed. He was 24th in hits allowed with just two and 35th in total pressures allowed with 23. He was penalized only twice.
Notable Quotables:
"I learned a lot about the process, preparation. 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
Projected Role in 2026:
Belton flashed elite potential at guard as a rookie and his size and strength are huge assets. Despite the preseason struggles, the expectation should be that he is the full-time starter at right guard pending injury. Is this a bit of a bold prediction at this point? We'll have to wait and see to find out.
Previous Rankings:
