NFL Draft
1/30/25
6 min read
Anthony Belton 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For North Carolina State Wolfpack OT
Height: 6053 (verified)
Weight: 345lbs (verified)
Year: Sixth-Year Senior
Pro Comparison: Cam Robinson
Scouting Overview
North Carolina State Wolfpack OT Anthony Belton has the makings of a developmental starting tackle at the NFL level. Belton meets thresholds for elite length and power, boasting road-grading ability on inside zone and gap schemes while also showcasing the linear burst and athleticism to string out the point of attack in outside zone schemes.
Belton is a supersized talent who will create conflict for defenders in space. They must decide whether to run over or under his leverage, and as a result, he’ll offer a larger-than-usual gravitational pull. Belton lacks the same general appeal in space as a pass protector and needs further development with his punches and hand strikes to help him unlock his full potential.
2025 NFL Combine Results
TBD
Positives
- Laughable power in the run game with down blocks and solo blocks in inside zone concepts
- Boasts elite length with an 83.13” wingspan and over 34.5” arms
- Surprising burst and agility to climb out of the blocks on vertical climbs to the second level
Negatives
- Strike utilization in pass protection is high variance, allowing rushers too often to manipulate his punches
- Eight penalties in each of the last three seasons as a starter at NC State. He needs better discipline on the fringes of his reach
- Modest foot speed that impacts his ability to mirror against wide-angled rushers
Background
Belton is from Tallahassee, FL, and played high school football for Florida State University School. From there, Belton enrolled at Georgia Military Academy, where he spent the 2019 season as a tackle who played in 11 games before the 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Belton entered the transfer portal as a 3-star JUCO transfer in the 2021 recruiting class, ultimately landing at NC State as the No. 5 JUCO tackle in the country.
Belton redshirted the 2021 season with just two games played before claiming a starting role for NC State in 2022. Belton stepped in behind former first-round draft choice Ikem Ekwonu and has served as a starter ever since, posting more than 2,200 snaps for the Wolfpack across the last three seasons.
Belton attended the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl to help kickstart his 2025 NFL Draft pre-draft process.
Tale Of The Tape
Belton is an aggressive mauler at offensive tackle. Teams looking for tone-setters and temperature changers will likely be drawn to his physical style of play and ability to dictate terms in the run game to help renegotiate the line of scrimmage.
Belton is a cleaner projection in the run game than in pass protection, although his natural size and length afford him a larger-than-average margin for error on the edge in protection.
In the run game, Belton is capable of solo blocks that create wash or seals of gaps for runs that attack downhill and are designed to hit the second level with pace out of the mesh point. As an inside zone blocker, Belton can close space to defenders both on down blocks, front side blocks, or working combinations and parlaying into a second-level climb.
He is dynamic in linear situations and capable of exploding out of the blocks to quickly take contact with the opposition. His total-body strength and force generation also make him an attractive option for gap schemes, although NC State was predominantly a zone run scheme during his tenure with the program.
Belton can get in trouble in the run game with sustaining his grip and framing of the block. Too often, he can lose control and spin off the block by trying to run his base to clear out space. He can simply trust his natural strength and still create enough push by harnessing his power more cleanly. This would further amplify his run-blocking prowess.
On the second level, Belton offers influence but isn’t necessarily consistent with connecting with flowing defenders on the second level. If his initial angles don’t draw him to contact, he can struggle to reignite his burst and readjust in time to connect. At the least, he’ll force defenders to change their pathway on the second level and give the back a chance to find a crease to cut off of if the zone run scheme hits as designed — particularly on outside zone.
As a pass protector, Belton forces tight turns on the edge when taking short sets, allowing him to land hands early on pass rushers. His strike timing offers room for growth. He can be more patient and show more strike variations as a puncher to keep pass rushers off balance and unable to sync up counters or coax him with early hands before converting into a new angle to ruhs.
Belton’s mirror skills are modest due to his foot speed and lateral agility, and if he improperly frames or sets for pass rushers, his positioning can be compromised — further complicating his consistency on the edge in protection and underscoring the importance of his technical development. Sloppy rushers and slow-burn athletes will get eaten up by his gravitational pull and length, but developed rushers likely offer more pitches than he can account for across a 60-minute contest.
Belton will need to be vigilant about his pad level at the next level. He’s a tall, framed player, and although he has the hinges required to play with suitable leverage, there are instances in which his chest is exposed or his power is robbed when left unoccupied in his set for too long.
Ideal Scheme Fit, Role
Belton projects as a developmental starting tackle for a run-heavy focused offense. Belton affords teams with a significant ceiling, thanks to his run game prowess and versatility for inside or outside concepts and the length to steepen angles on the edge.
With added technical refinement, he could become a quality starter by the end of his rookie contract.
Grade: 76.00/100.00, Third Round Value
Big Board Rank: TBD
Position Rank: TBD
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