Senior Bowl Breaks Down Four Packers Draft Picks

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Senior Bowl’s Jack Gilmore hadn’t heard that Anthony Belton’s nickname was “Escalade,” but he gets it.

“If you had told me during the week, like, ‘Hey, one of these guys’ nicknames is Escalade, I would have guessed Anthony Belton,’” Gilmore, the prestigious all-star game’s director of football operations, told Packers On SI.

The Green Bay Packers under general manager Brian Gutekunst have picked frequently from the Senior Bowl’s deep well of talent, and this year was no different. Gutekunst drafted four consecutive players who were selected for the Senior Bowl, starting with Belton, the massive offensive lineman from North Carolina State, in the second round.

“The guy’s huge,” Gilmore continued. “He’s a massive human. I can’t emphasize that enough. This guy is completely filled out throughout his entire body. He’s very dense. He’s a really good run blocker. Just covers guys up and engulfs people at the second level.”

Belton was a three-year starting left tackle in college. While his offensive line coach at NC State, Garett Tujague, repped him frequently at right tackle to prepare him for the NFL, the Senior Bowl gave Belton a chance to show his flexibility by playing guard.

With last year’s first-round pick, Jordan Morgan, set to battle incumbent starting left tackle Rasheed Walker and with Zach Tom entrenched at right tackle, right guard might be Belton’s ticket to early playing time.

“He was really good at guard at the Senior Bowl,” Gilmore said. “You could argue he might be too tall to play guard. I know he’s 6060 (6-foot-6), but he moves well enough to get leverage against three-techniques. I think athletically he fits more at guard. He’s got 33 7/8(-inch) arms, which is good enough, but I think he’ll struggle against the more elite pass rushers there at right tackle. He can play right tackle at the next level, no doubt, but I think he’s more of a guard.”

In the third round, the Packers selected TCU receiver Savion Williams, who was picked for the game but did not participate following labrum surgery.

“We did a lot of work on him,” Gilmore said. “I love Savion Williams. You could put together a 10-play cut-up of Savion Williams and you would think he’s the best wide receiver in the class and that his floor would be like a No. 2 in the league based off that cut-up.”

At 6-foot-3 7/8 and 222 pounds with 4.48 speed, Williams has an elite combination of size and athleticism. His production was sporadic at times due in part to TCU’s quarterback play, his shortcomings as a route-runner and his inconsistent hands, but he scored a total of 12 touchdowns and was a handful to tackle in the open field.

“He’s got a very good combination of size, athleticism, explosiveness. As you know, that’s what plays in the league,” Gilmore said. “I know you guys have Christian Watson. Similar profile as him – very good skill-set but some inconsistencies in catching the ball, and the reliability factor is probably not what you would want. But this guy’s got every single physical tool you would want in a wide receiver.”

Day 3 started with a pair of defensive ends, Barryn Sorrell of Texas and Collin Oliver of Oklahoma State.

The Senior Bowl was a big deal for both players. For Sorrell, it was another opportunity to show his love for the game and to follow his dreams, even though his Texas teammates bowed out because of the short turnaround following their trip to the College Football Playoff semifinals.

“First of all,” Gilmore said, “he was the only Texas player to play in our game and we invited at least five. So, while it wasn’t the popular thing to do in Austin to come to Mobile, Barryn Sorrell didn’t care. He came and he competed and he stayed throughout the whole week. So, I think I want to start there and just acknowledge that. I think that shows how competitive Barryn is.”

Will Sorrell, who was voted the Player of the Week by opposing offensive linemen for his work at practice, be the missing piece to Green Bay’s pass rush? With 15.5 sacks during his three seasons as a starter, maybe not, but he’ll at least be a run-stopping role player.

“This dude, talk about a guy that can set the edge of your defense,” Gilmore said. “He’s got good size. He’s got a real firm body, good with his hands, good in the run game, diagnoses things well, gets off blocks, strong tackler and plays with a lot of effort.

“I think Packer fans are going to like watching this guy play on Sundays. I can’t say enough about Barryn on run downs. I don’t know what he quite gives you on third down. I think you’d probably find better edge rushers, which is kind of our next guy we’ll talk about in Collin Oliver, but, on first and second down, this guy’s a starter.”

While Sorrell set a career high with six sacks in 16 games as a senior and finished with 15.5 sacks in 49 career games, Oliver had 11.5 sacks as a freshman and 23.5 sacks in 43 career games. He’s undersized but athletic, well-schooled and versatile.

For Oliver, the Senior Bowl was a chance to remind scouts of his talents after a broken foot limited him to only five quarters in 2024.

“He played on the ball, off the ball, did a lot of different drills,” Gilmore said. “So, he showcased his versatility while he was down in Mobile. I think the best thing this guy does is rush the passer. He was really productive at that at Oklahoma State and was on track to set records until his injury. So, a guy who’s athletic, explosive off the ball. He’s got a plan as a pass rusher.”

Oliver had 23.5 sacks and 42 tackles for losses in 43 career games. Penn State’s Abdul Carter, the first defensive player drafted, had 23 sacks and 41 tackles for losses in 42 career games. The next two edges selected in the first round, Georgia’s Mykel Williams and Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart, combined for 18.5 sacks and 35 tackles for losses in 77 games.

“He’s got a knack for finding the quarterback and getting to the ball,” Gilmore continued. “So, I think you start him there as a DPR [designated pass rusher]. He’s going to help you on third down but he’s good enough to provide some depth at stack (line)backer.

“He’s instinctive, and his size is better off the ball than it is on the ball. He’s kind of like a tweener body, but I would rather have him lined up as a defensive end, getting after the quarterback, doing what he does best. Again, a guy that’s going to give you versatility and, at the very least, he’s going to give you value on special teams. He’s got the temperament, size, athleticism to help you out there.”

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