The Green Bay Packers have high hopes for Jordan Morgan as he moves back into his favored left tackle position, but it took two years to get here.
Morgan had to play out of position, lining up at both guard spots for the majority of the past two seasons, and that experiment didn't go to plan. The Packers are now taking a similar risk with second-year Anthony Belton, who is the projected starter at right guard entering 2026.
The Packers selected Belton in the second round a year ago on the back of his work as a tackle in college. According to Pro Football Focus, Belton played 2,229 snaps at left tackle and 11 at right tackle for NC State, but none at guard.
If last season is any indication, the Packers might fall into the same trap with Belton as they did with Morgan.
Packers could be making a mistake with Anthony Belton at right guard
The Packers prioritize versatility along the offensive line and regularly cross-train players at multiple positions. That's fine when you have Zach Tom or Elgton Jenkins, who offered the Packers true five-position versatility, but that doesn't work for everyone.
Morgan is the perfect example of that. The Packers experimented with Morgan at right guard early in his career because that's where they had an opening. It didn't work out. Entering Year 3, he now finally gets an opportunity at his preferred position following Rasheed Walker's departure in free agency.
Like Morgan, Belton will have to try to make it work at right guard. Morgan and Tom will start at the tackle positions, while the Packers have no choice but to stick with Aaron Banks at left guard after doubling down on their overpay and restructuring his contract earlier this offseason.
According to Pro Football Focus, last season, Belton played 463 snaps at right guard for the Packers, 86 at right tackle, six at left tackle, and two at left guard.
And the results were, mixed? That's putting it kindly.
Belton didn't allow a sack, but that's about where the good news ends. Per PFF, he allowed 29 pressures and four hits on 292 pass-blocking snaps. His overall grade of 49.7 ranked 72nd among 81 guards, his pass-blocking grade ranked 73rd, and his run-blocking grade was good for just 66th. Not ideal.
He was a rookie, of course, and learning a new position. It was bound to produce inconsistent results. But that's exactly what we said about Morgan in 2024. We hoped that with time, development, and some reps under his belt, Morgan would become more comfortable at the interior positions. It just never happened, and he failed to beat Sean Rhyan for a starting job.
Belton isn't just learning a new position, but he is also playing on the opposite side of the line, which is another significant adjustment. Again, that's the challenge Morgan had to overcome.
The issue is that it has to work at guard. Green Bay hopes Morgan will become the long-term starting left tackle, while Tom is one of the league's premier right tackles.
There's no clear path to Belton becoming a starting tackle. Not yet, at least. Perhaps that changes if Morgan struggles this season.
Assuming Morgan plays well, it has to work for Belton at guard. It's the only vacancy on the offensive line. Belton might make a second-year jump and become the quality starter Green Bay needs. That's the hope.
But for that to happen, he must overcome the hurdles Morgan couldn't. That's the gamble the Packers have taken.
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