The Green Bay Packers' offensive line woes hurt them more often than not last season. Injuries and inconsistent play led to constant shake-ups of the five-man unit, with offensive line coach Luke Butkus also insisting on moving players all around the line.
Now, with Rasheed Walker and Elton Jenkins no longer in town and OTAs in the rearview mirror, the Packers may have no choice but to trust the youngsters. Jordan Morgan will finally play at left tackle, and Anthony Belton might have to find his calling in the interior of the offensive line.
Despite entering the league as a second-round left tackle out of NC State, the Packers used Belton at right guard late in the season. Considering that, Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon believes he'll be the team's most important second-year player, even ahead of Matthew Golden:
"Neither made major impacts last season, but it looks as though Belton will be locked into a starting guard spot after jumping from a reserve tackle role into that spot down the stretch in 2025," wrote Gagnon. "They'll want Golden to make more plays in 2026, but at least there's a crowd in the receiver corps. Belton has a lot more on his shoulders."
Anthony Belton's development will be crucial for the Packers
Belton is an absolute unit of a human being. Standing at 6-foot-3 and 336 pounds, he's reportedly shed some weight and added even more muscle to his huge frame. His play was a bit of a mixed bag as a rookie, but that's not entirely on him.
For starters, the Packers don't play their youngsters that much unless they have to. Also, they didn't need him until injuries decimated that unit, which is also why they had to move him to right guard. There, he didn't give up a single sack, though Pro Football Focus tabbed him with 19 allowed pressures and a 49.7 overall grade, the eighth-worst among 81 eligible guards.
Things are already tough in the interior of the line for the Packers. Shean Ryan did a great job as a backup, but he'll now have to earn his stripes as the starter, and Aaron Banks' performances at left guard left plenty to be desired. All things considered, it's not much of a surprise to hear head coach Matt LaFleur leave the door open for fifth-round rookie Jager Burton to start, though, again, the Packers don't usually put that much on their rookies' plates.
Belton has the physical attributes to be a mainstay at right guard, though he still needs to learn the ropes of the position and do a better job of keeping the up-the-middle pressure to a minimum. The mere fact that he's tabbed with this 'most important' label ahead of a first-round wide receiver speaks volumes about how much help this team needs in the trenches, and they will have to speed things up with their former left tackle prospect.
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