Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures
HEIGHT: 6’6″
WEIGHT: 336
POSITIVES
— Good arm size with a thick, wide-bodied construct, heavy fingers and jarring energy
— Flashes of high-end burst seen on bottom cut-offs, screens and climbs that permit him to shut area at a really spectacular stage given his dimension
— Can bang down, feed and cave within the hip/ribs of his goal on double groups
— Excels in opposition to larger energy rushers with the dimensions, size and energy to
— Finds work when uncovered with pocket-clearing pop on contact
— Performs with a bodily, aggressive mentality and the dimensions/energy to generate knockdowns
NEGATIVES
— Marginal agility and lateral quickness with an upright enjoying type leaves him late, leaning and overextended in opposition to strikes throughout his face
— Clunky footwork causes his heels to click on when increasing his set factors in opposition to high-side rushes and crossover when redirecting inside
— Excessive variance cross protector as a consequence of being overly reliant on the two-hand strike, leaving him with no recourse when his strike does not land
NOTES
— Unranked recruit from the 2019 class, per 247Sports
— Enrolled at Georgia Navy Academy the place he spent two seasons earlier than transferring to N.C. State as a 3-star JUCO recruit
— Three-year starter at N.C. State at left deal with
— Was ejected in opposition to Clemson in the course of the 2024 season and subsequently was taken out of the beginning lineup the next week (though he did play)
OVERALL
Anthony Belton is a three-year starter at left deal with inside N.C. State’s balanced, zone-based run scheme with counter combined in. Belton has a thick, wide-bodied construct with good arm size, heavy fingers and stable athletic potential.
Belton wins as a run blocker utilizing his massive physique, lengthy arms and heavy fingers to cowl up targets on angle-drive blocks with the ability to displace and create rush lanes. He dents defensive tackles on double-team feeds and has flashes of excellent burst to chop off the bottom and intersect targets on screens. Whereas Belton’s uncooked athletic potential and energy are spectacular, it’s clouded with uncooked, clunky footwork and excessive pad stage that oftentimes depart him late, leaning and overextended in opposition to slippery defenders and strikes throughout his face.
In cross safety, Belton wins utilizing his dimension, size, and knockback energy to stun and engulf rushers that use energy and try to go down the center of him whereas flashing the flexibility to maintain high-side rushers at his fingertips and widen the nook. Belton can be a drive when uncovered and might collapse adjoining rushers to clear the pocket. He’s inconsistent with velocity strikes as a consequence of shaky footwork and an overreliance on two-hand placing, which leaves him beat clear in opposition to adept counter strikes.
Total, Belton has starter-level dimension, pure energy and sufficient athletic potential to warrant being drafted, however sloppy approach and shaky restoration expertise make him a high-variance dart throw value a shot for a high-end, veteran line room and training workers.
GRADE: 6.3 (Developmental Prospect — fifth Spherical)
OVERALL RANK: 117
POSITION RANK: OT8
PRO COMPARISON: Tyrus Thompson
Prospect exercise numbers, measurables (40-yard sprint, hand dimension, and so on.) and 2024 statistics shall be added at a later date.
