‘Escalade’ Rolling Into Green Bay for NFL Draft Visit with Packers

North Carolina State offensive tackle Anthony Belton, one of the biggest blockers in this year’s draft, will have a predraft visit with the Green Bay Packers, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

At 6-foot-6 and 336 pounds with 33 7/8-inch arms, he was the third-heaviest lineman and fourth-heaviest player overall at this year’s Scouting Combine. With some decent athletic numbers for a man of his size, including a 5.26 in the 40-yard dash, his Relative Athletic Score was 7.72.

With size and the ability to move, his name at NC State was “Escalade” by the Wolfpack’s director of strength and conditioning, Dantonio Burnette.

“He said I move like an Escalade,” Belton said.

Belton was a three-year starting left tackle, with 2,216 snaps at that position in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

NC State coach Dave Doeren had high expectations entering the 2024 season.

“He’s in really good shape,” Doeren said via Rivals. “His practice habits have become escalated as far as the urgency and the focus. Anthony likes to have fun. He's got a great personality, and sometimes that gets too close to the game for him.

“Being able to compartmentalize those things – this is work, this is fun – and knowing when it's time to do both, he's really grown up. He's had a really good fall camp, and I'm excited for him.”

That urgency paid off. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed three sacks and 12 total pressures in 2024, a big improvement over two sacks and 22 pressures in 2023. He was guilty of eight penalties in each of his three seasons.

“It’s really just being in the conversation about that [the NFL] is really a blessing,” Belton said before his final season. “A lot of guys don’t get that opportunity. I’m just trying to focus on this year and go as far as I can go with this team. I know that will set me up.”

Run blocking is his calling card. That’s where he can “bulldoze the roads clean for running backs,” wrote NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein in his scouting report. His power would be a good fit for the direction the Packers are taking on their offensive line. Their quest for a more powerful front was evident when they let go of center Josh Myers and signed guard Aaron Banks in free agency.

At the Scouting Combine, Belton said he likes to watch Laremy Tunsil, saying “his footwork is phenomenal.” He also likes to watch Lions right tackle Penei Sewell.

Belton had a good week at the Senior Bowl, where he played left tackle, right tackle and a little left guard. He played 20 snaps at left tackle in the game.

Asked what his “superpower” was at the Senior Bowl, he said: “For me, it’s my athleticism. I’m a guy who can move, especially at my size. I can compare with any when it comes to power, speed, finesse. I’m ready for anything. I’m just ready for the unexpected because that’s what comes on the offensive line. You’ve got to go against different defenders and it’s about how you prepare yourself, how you react, how you bounce back when you lose.”

No doubt this play – a black eye on his career – will be discussed by the Packers during his visit.

"He's a great young man that made a bad mistake. He'll learn from this, and our hope is he'll grow from it," Doeren said.

That incident notwithstanding, he considers himself a “very nice person.”

He has an unusual fear, though. He won’t swim in the ocean because he’s afraid of orcas.

“Personally, I don’t like them. They’re scary,” Belton told The News & Observer. “They’re smart, but they’re scary. They’re not meant for me.” Not even on a boat.

Belton is a big man with a big personality.

“I bring pure joy and excitement,” he said. “We’re playing college football. A lot of people don’t get to do that. I’m just happy to be here, honestly. I’m living the dream.