Anthony Belton OT NC State | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Anthony Belton OT NC State
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| SUB-POSITION: Left Tackle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 02/26/2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 5.26 seconds (51%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| SUB-POSITION: Left Tackle | |
| Last Updated: 02/26/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2025 | |
| 40 time: 5.26 seconds (51%*) | |
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |
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| Overall Rating: | 83.4 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
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74% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Pass Blocking: |
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83% |
| Run Blocking: |
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69% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
4th
Overall Rank:
#115
Position rank:
#22
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| College Games: 39 College Snaps: 2209 | ||
ESPN RATING: 75/100
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247 RATING: 83/100
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Matt Goncalves - Pittsburgh |
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96% |
| Tyler Steen - Alabama |
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86% |
| Nick Saldiveri - Old Dominion |
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80% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Anthony "Escalade" Belton's path to the NFL draft wasn't the traditional blue-chip recruit story. After going unranked out of high school, Belton spent two formative years at Georgia Military College, where he developed into the fifth-ranked JUCO offensive tackle nationally. This trajectory caught the attention of NC State, who offered him a scholarship as a three-star transfer in 2021.After a brief introduction to ACC football with just 11 snaps across two games in 2021, Belton stepped into massive shoes, replacing first-round pick Ickey Ekwonu at left tackle. He quickly established himself, starting eight games in 2022 with an impressive 81.2 pass-blocking grade. By 2023, Belton had become a fixture on the Wolfpack offensive line, starting all 13 games while tallying an eye-popping 51 pancake blocks, including a career-high nine against UNC alone. His performance earned him third-team All-ACC honors. Belton's development culminated in his final 2024 campaign, where he posted a 73.6 overall grade with an exceptional 87.2 pass blocking grade across 741 snaps.
The imposing 6'6", 345-pound tackle's nickname "Escalade" perfectly captures his presence on the field - a massive, intimidating force that commands attention. Through his three years as a starter, Belton accumulated significant experience with over 2,200 offensive snaps, demonstrating steady improvement each season while playing in NC State's balanced, zone-based scheme with counter elements mixed in.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Enormous frame with exceptional length and bulk that allows him to engulf defenders, particularly when they attempt power rushes straight into his chest.
- Plays with a nasty finishing mentality in the run game, routinely looking to pancake defenders and driving through the whistle with violent intentions.
- Shows surprising burst when closing space on backside cut-offs and screen assignments - shocking quickness for a man his size when moving downhill.
- Heavy, jar-rattling hands deliver significant pop on contact that can stun defenders and immediately halt their momentum in pass protection.
- Excels on combo blocks, effectively washing down defensive tackles before climbing to linebackers with disruptive force and overwhelming mass.
- Generates substantial power from his lower half when he establishes proper leverage, creating significant movement on angle-drive blocks.
- Demonstrates impressive straight-line power when pulling, bringing momentum and force that can clear running lanes with devastating effect.
- Manages distance well against edge rushers, using his length to keep them at fingertip reach while widening their rush path effectively.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Tends to play with excessive height in his stance, causing him to lose the leverage battle and leaving him vulnerable against savvy rushers.
- Footwork becomes noticeably clunky when forced to change direction, causing heel clicks and crossed feet that compromise his balance.
- Over-relies on two-handed strikes in pass protection, leaving him without countermeasures when defenders effectively evade his initial punch.
- Struggles with lateral agility, making him a liability against speed rushers who can force him to redirect quickly across his face.
- Forward-leaning tendency when engaging blocks can cause him to fall off targets, especially when defenders use quick swim or spin moves.
Scouting Report: Summary
Anthony Belton brings a tantalizing combination of massive size and surprising pass protection skill that smart offensive line coaches will be eager to develop. His film reveals a player with significantly better technique in pass sets than run blocking, suggesting he's more advanced in the former despite his intimidating physical presence. While he sits outside the top 100 prospects in this draft class, Belton's exceptional length and pass protection upside make him a Day 3 selection with starter potential.A power-based scheme would maximize Belton's strengths by letting him use his natural size advantage to create displacement in the run game while refining his technique. The tape shows a player who can absolutely dominate when he connects cleanly in pass protection but still needs considerable work on sustaining blocks and maintaining leverage when moving laterally. Teams would be wise to consider him for right tackle initially, with the flexibility to kick inside to guard if his lateral movement limitations prove challenging against NFL-caliber speed rushers.
Don't be surprised if a team with strong offensive line development like Baltimore, Philadelphia or Kansas City targets Belton in the middle rounds as a developmental prospect. The flashes are there of a player who could outperform his draft position substantially given time. His superior pass protection skills compared to his run blocking suggest he might adapt more quickly to the pass-heavy NFL than many of his peers.
Written By:
Felix Green (ACC)
Anthony Belton percentiles vs other Offensive Tackles (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Anthony Belton (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
85.3
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
17.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.