Unexpected Packers breakout candidate for 2026 could provide answer to Green Bay’s biggest question
ESPN analyst Ben Solak named right guard Anthony Belton as Packers candidate, and it could help solve Green Bay’s biggest uncertainty.
The Green Bay Packers need better play from their offensive line in 2026, particularly at guard, and one ESPN analyst believes second-year lineman Anthony Belton is the player who can provide it.
Ben Solak named Belton as the Packers’ breakout candidate on his list of 32 players poised for a leap this season, one for each NFL team. The selection is surprising given Belton’s uneven rookie campaign, but the reasoning behind it reveals why Green Bay could see a significant jump from the 6-foot-6, 336-pound interior player.
Solak laid out his case for why Belton’s second year could look drastically different from his first:
“I never liked the idea of Belton as the developmental tackle — I just didn’t see enough foot speed there to survive against top-tier edge rushers. But now that the Packers have finished experimenting with Belton as a swing tackle and committed to playing him at right guard, I see a rosy future. Sure, Belton’s play was largely up and down when he was in the lineup at guard as a rookie, but that was expected because he was a college left tackle and didn’t really practice on the interior until the regular season. I’m willing to wash most of that down the drain.
Belton has the size, flexibility and power to be a defining force in the running game — something the Packers desperately need, as they typically run the ball from shotgun and need big-time vertical displacement. Aaron Banks, who was a free agent disappointment in Year 1, was supposed to be that linchpin player. With a full offseason of prep, I believe it can be Belton instead.” — Ben Solak
Why Belton’s rookie year was rough
Solak’s optimism makes more sense once you understand Belton’s unusual path as a rookie. The Packers typically cross-train their offensive linemen at multiple positions, but that wasn’t how Belton’s development played out. Throughout the offseason program, training camp, and preseason, he played exclusively at tackle on both sides. He logged 86 snaps at right tackle and six at left tackle to start the regular season before shifting to right guard in Week 12 against the Minnesota Vikings. He became the full-time starter at the position in Week 13 against the Detroit Lions.
From there, Belton played 463 snaps at right guard, and the results were mixed. He allowed six pressures against Detroit in Week 13, four against the Denver Broncos in Week 15, and six more against the Chicago Bears in the wild card round. His run-blocking grade via PFF was 49.3 for the season, lower than what Sean Rhyan posted at the same position. By most measures, it was a disappointing first year.
But the circumstances potentially created those struggles. Belton was a college left tackle who did not practice on the interior until the regular season was already underway. That’s a difficult transition for any player, let alone a rookie.
Why year 2 could be different
The difference now is preparation. Belton will have a full offseason and a full training camp dedicated to right guard. While he took some snaps at right tackle during OTAs, right guard is his primary position going forward, and that stability should accelerate his growth.
A Belton breakout would be significant for the Packers because it aligns with a broader offensive line philosophy shift. General manager Brian Gutekunst and the coaching staff made a concerted effort to get heavier and bigger at the guard spots, moving away from the shorter and lighter guards Green Bay had previously favored. That’s why the team signed Aaron Banks in free agency and drafted Belton in the second round last year. At 6-foot-6, 336 pounds, Belton fits the mold the Packers want for creating vertical displacement in their shotgun-heavy run game.