The 49ers typically wait until the mid-rounds to try to find offensive line gems, and they hosted a visit with a potential future starter ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The 49ers have stuck with the same approach in terms of drafting offensive linemen for the vast majority of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch’s time running the show. Save for the outlier of 2018 when they selected Mike McGlinchey with the ninth overall pick, the 49ers have not been prepared to spend premium capital on the offensive line.
Since selecting McGlinchey, the highest pick the 49ers have spent on an offensive linemen is the second-rounder they used to take Aaron Banks, with the reasoning for their reluctance to invest top picks in that position group laid out after last year’s draft by offensive line coach Chris Foerster.
“Invest in guys that touch the ball, guys that can touch the ball and score touchdowns. And then there’s a range of guys, second, third, fourth round, fifth round even, that we will find starting offensive linemen in. At some point can you draft them? Yeah, you draft Trent Williams. You pick a draft where you’re getting a difference maker. But there’s guys that can make a difference, that touch the ball, well into the second, third, fourth rounds, or second and third rounds, at least. And definitely in the first round. That guy that touches the ball, it makes a huge difference in the game. The right guard makes a difference, we’ve talked about it before, but that’s where we’re able to find fourth and fifth round draft picks.”
It’s a philosophy that has attracted criticism, especially as the offensive line still stands out as a significant need for the 49ers. However, after quickly turning Dominick Puni into a starting right guard last year, it seems more likely than not that the 49ers will stick with it.
The 49ers took Puni in the third round last year, eschewing a clear need at the right tackle spot. He was named to the All-Rookie team in his first season. His progress may only serve to reinforce the 49ers’ belief they can continue to turn day two and day-three linemen into starters, and there is another potential third-round pick who the 49ers hosted for a top-30 visit who has the promise to prove them right again in 2025.
While projected to play another position at the next level, NC State’s Anthony Belton shares some parallels with Puni. Like Puni, Belton heads to the NFL with experience playing both tackle spots – though his time at right tackle was very sparing – and he appears an imperfect fit for what the 49ers do in terms of run blocking.
Run blocking was identified by Foerster as Puni’s biggest area for improvement in 2024, yet it turned out to be a huge strength in an impressive rookie year.
While he has demonstrated he can block zone runs effectively, Belton does not have the requisite athleticism for that to be his forte. Still, he has displayed enough promise as a run blocker to suggest the 49ers could coax the level of improvement needed for him to be a starter at tackle in the pros.
The 49ers’ rushing offense has evolved into one that is a mix of both zone and gap scheme runs – though its foundation remains in the former. Gap scheme runs suit Belton’s skill set perfectly. He shows great power in driving defenders off the ball and, despite his 6ft 6in and 336-pound frame, does an impressive job of getting his pads low to win the leverage battle.
In zone, he can climb to the second level, but it is far from his strong suit. Belton will often miss his target, with second-level defenders able to slip his blocks with relative consistency. Yet when he is able to make contact with his defender and keep his feet moving when blocking outside zone, you see shades of what he could become.
And the 49ers may take the bet of turning him into that for the instant pay-off they could get in pass protection.
Belton had the fourth-highest Pro Football Focus pass block grade of all offensive tackles in the 2025 draft (min. 100 snaps) in 2024.
That is not to say he was perfect in college. Belton cannot claim to have a record akin to Puni – who did not give up a sack across his final two seasons in college while playing two different spots. To the contrary, Belton was attributed with giving up three sacks as part of 12 total pressures in 2024.
There are inconsistencies in Belton’s footwork to clean up. He is sometimes guilty of playing with a narrow base, occasionally leaving him vulnerable to bull rushes and, while his arm length is an asset he often uses well, opposing defenders have had success quickly countering his initial punch.
But, if those issues can be cleaned up, there is potential for Belton to develop into a very high-floor pass protector. He gets out of his stance quickly and to get square with pass rushers and has the ability to drop his pads and anchor with eye-catching ease. Belton is guilty of sporadically oversetting, but he displays the lateral quickness to recover and is adept at shutting down inside moves.
Belton demonstrates strong awareness in picking up stunts, though he doesn’t always have the athleticism to be able to redirect and pick up the looper around the outside. Speed rushers who can put him in the race quickly will give Belton problems, but that deficiency becomes easier to live with once you consider the positives he can bring to an offense.
The sample size of him playing right tackle is very limited, yet Belton is a prospect who offers versatility and has the physical traits to be an asset as a pass blocker against power rushers and inside moves. As a run blocker, Belton can be an immediate plus in at least one area of the 49ers’ ground attack off the bat.
In short, Belton is the type of a prospect with whom Foerster loves to work.
Despite a frame and a mean streak reminiscent of Trent Williams, the 49ers certainly won’t believe they are getting another version of him should they indeed select Belton. But what they would be getting is a player with the skill set to immediately challenge Colton McKivitz for the starting role at right tackle. Foerster would surely believe he can iron out the inconsistencies and get the best out of Belton. After the success he had with Puni last year, it would be intriguing to see him get the chance.