Not everyone who enters Senior Bowl week is coming off a great season with the most confidence. But there’s always an opportunity to get better, gain confidence, and get great insight from these NFL coaches to improve themselves. The ones who take advantage of that usually turn heads along the way, and North Carolina State tackle Anthony Belton was one of those players.
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 345 pounds, Belton had high expectations coming into the 2024 season, and while not all of those expectations were met, he took the Senior Bowl challenge seriously and had a great week of practice. He was excellent during one-on-one pass protection drills and showed out as a run blocker, opening multiple holes for running backs throughout the week of practice.
NC State OT Anthony Belton held his own against Marshall EDGE Mike Green, one of the fastest risers at the @seniorbowl, this afternoon.
— Noah Fleischman (@fleischman_noah) January 30, 2025
Belton is putting together a solid week in Mobile. pic.twitter.com/TTUNmBEGE6
There might not be a higher riser from this week than Marshall EDGE Mike Green, who opted out of the rest of the week after Wednesday’s practice, and Belton held his own against the potential first-round pick.
Showing a smooth lateral step, Belton closes ground with that step and gets into his pass set depth with waiting hands as Green sets up his rush. Green goes for the spin move, but Belton does well to adjust his feet and not overcorrect inside with the jab step and catches Green with his two-hand jab. I’d like to see him rely less on the two-hand jab, but he keeps Green in front of him after the spin with his hands and a “hop” to re-anchor. Belton's patience and footwork were good signs during the week, and he continued to improve.
Every Anthony Belton 1-on-1 from the Senior Bowl - Lights out days 1-2, a couple losses to David Walker day 3. Big riser pic.twitter.com/Q1KH4l3qvu
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) January 30, 2025
Belton’s willingness to kick inside and play guard this week on top of tackle is another feather in his cap. NFL teams often want to get their “best five” offensive linemen on the field, and showing the versatility to play guard and tackle is always welcomed. Central Arkansas rusher David Walker got the best of Belton a few times. He was another player who helped himself this week, so there’s always work to do to improve, but this was a great step for Belton. He played snaps at both tackle spots and left guard during one-on-ones and closed out the final practice with two reps against Arkansas EDGE Landon Jackson and shut him down both times.
Belton ended his Senior Bowl practice week on a high note and is moving in the right direction as the “path to the draft” gets underway. The movement skills he showcased this week at his size, length, and versatility will be a great evaluation tool for NFL teams. Taking advantage of this week in Mobile wasn’t easy, but Belton answered the challenge.
