GREEN BAY – The path of an offensive lineman to a defined starting role in the NFL is rarely linear.
Just ask Jordan Morgan and Anthony Belton.
The pair started a combined 69 games at left tackle in college, with Morgan blocking the blindside at Arizona for five years and Belton doing the same at NC State for three.
The performances launched Morgan and Belton onto the radar of the Packers, who drafted Morgan in the first round (No. 24 overall) in 2024 and Belton in the second (No. 54) a year later.
On paper, tackle appeared the likely starting point for both prospects, but injuries up front soon dictated otherwise.
"I got in here expecting myself to play left tackle," Morgan said. "But I'm a team player. Wherever they needed me to be and to play, I'm going to try to do my best at it."
And Morgan did for the better part of two seasons, starting seven games at right guard, three at left guard and two at right tackle in his first 22 NFL regular-season games.
It wasn't until the Packers' 2025 regular-season finale against Minnesota that Morgan finally saw his first start at left tackle, as Green Bay rested starters on the eve of the playoffs.
Belton, meanwhile, began last year shadowing Zach Tom at right tackle before he was pressed into action at right guard, a position he'd rarely played prior to his arrival in Green Bay.
Life was different blocking in a phone booth. Speed was still a factor, but the body types were so much bigger. The spacing narrowed. Timing of that initial punch was critical.
"I learned a lot about the process, preparation," Belton said. "There were a lot of ups and downs that I had, but now I feel like I'm in a position where I can think less and do more. Because last year was more coming in as a rookie and trying to finally figure out what's going on, versus now it's more I can observe and take information in better."
An offseason of change swept through the Packers' offensive line this winter. Two-time Pro Bowler Elgton Jenkins was released in March and three-year starting left tackle Rasheed Walker relocated to Carolina during free agency.
In lieu of making veteran additions, the Packers wagered on the maturation of Morgan and Belton to offset those losses. Morgan was pegged the team's new starting left tackle while Belton furthered his development at right guard.
This offseason, the 6-foot-6, 336-pound Belton focused on getting stronger and leaner to better support his technique and fundamentals. Of course, Belton also benefitted from the experience he gained since making his first of seven starts at right guard during a Thanksgiving victory over Detroit.
"Last year, he was a tackle, and we were just having him play swing tackle, focus on that," offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich of Belton.
"And then all of a sudden, we lost a bunch of guys. It's like, 'Hey, bud, you got to go in to play guard.' When he went out there against Detroit, that was really the first week he'd ever played guard for us. Credit to him for going out there and doing it and playing pretty well."
Morgan knows that feeling all too well. He took his lumps as a rookie in 2024, learning a new position while practicing against Kenny Clark, one of the craftiest defensive tackles in the game.
Just when Morgan felt he was settling in, a shoulder injury limited him to just six games. The 6-foot-5, 311-pound offensive lineman returned healthy in 2025 but fell into a rotation with Sean Rhyan at right guard.
That arrangement barely lasted three quarters as Morgan was forced to slide to left guard after Aaron Banks exited with an ankle injury in the regular-season opener against Detroit.
Morgan started in place of Banks the following week against Washington before replacing an injured Zach Tom at right tackle in Week 3 against Cleveland.
It wasn't until Week 7 in Arizona that Morgan finally started at the same position in consecutive weeks. The sophomore swing ended with Morgan playing right tackle after Tom suffered a season-ending knee injury against Denver in Week 15.
"When you want to be good and you want to be a perfectionist, it's really hard," Morgan said. "Those first two years, it was a struggle for me, for sure. But at the end of the day, I've got to do it for the team, I've got to do for my teammates, just try to do the best I can do."
Morgan has enjoyed getting back to his left-tackle roots this offseason. It's the position the Packers drafted him to play and the one he feels best suited for, especially after shaking off the rust during organized team activities and minicamp this spring.
The difference has been visible to his fellow O-linemen, as well.
"It's really good to see him staying at one spot," Banks said. "He can really progress there. J-Mo's a left tackle, through and through. That's his spot. He's the most comfortable there. He looks the most natural there."
While 2025 was a bit of a rollercoaster for Green Bay in the trenches, the Packers believe experience and familiarity will propel the offensive line to the next level this season.
Both Morgan and Belton know they have an essential role to play in the successful deployment of that plan and are excited about the opportunity to prove their worth.
"It's not like a big reset button," Belton said. "I feel like we have the guys in the room to get the job done. I feel like J-Mo is a hell of an athlete himself. I'm excited to see what he does at left tackle because that's something I feel he'll thrive at. I'm excited to see what we do as a whole."
