Anthony Belton 2025 NFL Draft: NC State OT Scouting Report
In this talented 2025 NFL Draft class, an intriguing offensive tackle to know is Anthony Belton. He’s a talented OT with raw power and physicality in his game. Today, we’ll break down his NFL outlook with this in-depth expert scouting report. Additionally, we will be breaking down his strengths, areas for improvement, and his potential draft grade.
Anthony Belton 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Belton’s journey to the NFL Draft is a testament to perseverance and development. An unranked high school prospect out of Tallahassee, he began his collegiate career at Georgia Military College, where he emerged as a three-star JUCO recruit and the No. 5 JUCO offensive tackle in his class.
Transferring to NC State in 2021, he redshirted his first year before stepping into the left tackle role in 2022, replacing first-round pick Ikem Ekwonu. Over three seasons as a starter (2022-2024), Belton logged over 2,200 snaps, earning third-team All-ACC honors in 2023 and establishing himself as a physical, tone-setting presence on the Wolfpack’s offensive line.
Belton is a mountain of a man with an imposing frame that screams NFL potential. At 6’6” and 336 pounds, he carries a thick, wide-bodied build with long arms (nearly 34 inches) and a barrel chest that gives him a natural anchor against power rushers. His size is complemented by heavy hands and a strong lower half, though his weight distribution occasionally appears top-heavy, hinting at a need to refine his conditioning for optimal agility at the next level.
HT: 6060
WT: 336
HAND: 1028
ARM: 3378
40: 5.26
Strengths:
- Raw Power and Physicality: Belton plays with a mauler’s mentality, thriving in downhill run-blocking situations. His ability to generate push on angle-drive blocks and double teams is exceptional—he routinely caves in defensive tackles and creates displacement at the point of attack. His 51 pancake blocks in 2023 underscore his finishing ability.
- Pass Protection Anchor: Belton is a brick wall when squared up and engaged. His length, mass, and core strength allow him to absorb bull rushes and stall power-based edge rushers easily. His 2024 pass-blocking grade (reportedly 87.2 by PFF) reflects his reliability in protecting the quarterback’s blindside.
- Flashes of Athletic Burst: Despite his size, Belton shows surprising short-area quickness. He can explode off the line to cut off backside defenders on zone runs or climb to the second level on screens, intersecting linebackers with jarring force when his timing aligns.
- Experience and Versatility: With three years as a starter in NC State’s balanced, zone-heavy scheme, Belton brings a wealth of snaps and adaptability. While primarily a left tackle, his skill set suggests the potential to slide inside to guard in a pinch.
- Competitive Toughness: Nicknamed “Escalade” for his hulking presence, Belton plays with a mean streak. He seeks contact, finishes blocks through the whistle, and consistently looks for extra work when uncovered, making him a tone-setter for an offensive line.
Areas for Improvement:
- Lateral Agility and Footwork: Belton’s biggest limitation is his marginal lateral quickness. His high pad level and upright stance exacerbate clunky footwork, leaving him vulnerable to speed rushers who bend the edge or counter across his face. He often resorts to leaning or lunging to compensate, compromising his balance.
- Inconsistent Leverage: While Belton has improved his pad level since 2022, he still plays too high, especially in pass protection. This allows savvy defenders to get under his chest and disrupt his anchor, particularly on longer reps.
- Hand Placement and Timing: Belton’s heavy hands are a weapon when they land, but his punch timing and placement need refinement. He’s sometimes late to engage, failing to maximize his length, and can be predictable with his strikes, allowing rushers to slip free.
- Recovery Ability: When beaten off the snap—especially by twitchy or explosive edge players—Belton struggles to redirect and recover. His lack of elite foot speed and flexibility limits his margin for error against NFL-caliber athletes.
- Discipline Concerns: Belton’s aggression occasionally crosses the line, as evidenced by his ejection for spitting on an opponent during the 2024 Clemson game. This incident and a penalty-prone 2022 season (eight flags) raise questions about his emotional maturity.
Conclusion:
Overall, Belton projects as a Day 3 pick (Rounds 4-5) with the upside to develop into a starting-caliber tackle or guard in a power-based scheme. His size, strength, and experience make him an intriguing developmental prospect, though his technical rawness and athletic limitations cap his immediate impact. Teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, or Philadelphia Eagles—known for prioritizing trench play and coaching up linemen—could maximize his potential. A slight weight drop (320-325 lbs) could unlock more fluidity without sacrificing his anchor.
Belton’s blend of size, power, and developmental needs evokes shades of JC Latham (Tennessee Titans), another massive tackle with a filled-out frame who needed time to polish his technique. Like Latham, Belton’s ceiling hinges on coaching and refining his athletic profile.
Ultimately, Belton is a high-upside project with the physical tools to carve out an NFL role. His run-blocking prowess and pass-protection potential make him a worthwhile investment, but he’ll need time and refinement to handle the speed and complexity of pro defenses. Expect him to begin as a swing tackle or guard before competing for a starting job by Year 2 or 3.
Round Grade: 4th Round
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