Since the NFL adopted the rookie-wage scale in 2011, the importance of having productive players on a cheap first deal has grown substantially. Because of that, pieces in their second and third years are especially relevant for teams. They are more experienced than rookies, readier to contribute, but the contract cost is still low.

The Green Bay Packers didn’t have much production from their rookies in 2025, but one player in particular had several snaps and will be even more impactful this upcoming season. It’s guard Anthony Belton, a second-round pick in 2025.

Underrated situation to monitor

Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon wrote an article with a second-year player to watch for every NFL team. While it’s natural to expect some growth from first-round wide receiver Matthew Golden, Gagnon mentioned Belton as the Packers’ piece on the list.

“This is a toss-up between Belton—the team’s second-round pick—and first-rounder 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.

“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.” — Brad Gagnon

Established at guard

While the Packers love to cross-train their offensive linemen, Anthony Belton didn’t experience much of that throughout his first training camp. Belton practiced and played preseason games at both tackles spots, but didn’t move to the interior until the middle of the regular season.

In the first half of the season, Belton had 84 snaps at right tackle and six at left tackle. From Week 12 on, though, Belton finally moved to right guard. That’s where he played 392 snaps, with seven starts.

The performance was mediocre, allowing 23 pressures throughout the season. His PFF grades weren’t great either: 51.9 in run block, 43.3 in pass block.

Even though the first few games were rough, the coaching staff understands that the situation wasn’t ideal. Belton is finally having a full offseason program and will have a first training camp at guard, so it’s fair to expect a significant improvement at his new position.

The Packers had real problems along the offensive line in 2025, and a big part of the offensive room for improvement is upfront. If Anthony Belton can justify why the Packers took him in the second round a year ago, that’s a major reinforcement for the roster.