Bo Melton Faces an Uphill Battle to Make the Packers Roster This Season

Bo Melton has been a great story since joining the Green Bay Packers. He’s been a wide receiver throughout his college career at Rutgers and in his three seasons in the NFL. But now, he faces the difficult task of switching positions in order to increase his chances of making the football team. Both GM Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur indicated Melton would spend most of his time at training camp at cornerback. That’s not an easy change to make. This is one reason Bo Melton faces an uphill battle to make the Packers roster this season.

Bo Melton Faces An Uphill Battle to Make the Packers Roster: His Career So Far

The Seattle Seahawks selected Melton in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Melton didn’t make the team but was assigned to the practice squad. When injuries struck the Packers wide receivers late in the 2022 season, they signed Melton off the Seahawks practice squad.

In 2023, Melton started the season on the Packers practice squad. In November, the Packers elevated him to the active roster for one game. Then he was released and re-signed to the practice squad. Then, late in the season, he was again placed on the active roster.

This was Melton’s best statistical season. He finished 2023 with 16 catches for 218 yards and a touchdown. In fact, he had the Packers first 100-yard receiving game of the season in Week 16 against the Vikings when he caught six passes for 105 yards and his first career touchdown catch. He added another touchdown catch in the playoff game against the 49ers.

Last season, Melton played in all 17 games for the Packers but saw fewer targets. He finished the year with eight catches for 91 yards. Melton was also used on jet sweeps and end arounds and played a regular role on special teams.

The Decision to Change Positions

At OTAs, the Packers coaching staff decided to see how Melton would do at cornerback. This was in part due to a shortage of players available at cornerback who could take part in drills and practices.

That went well enough that the Packers are now having Melton work primarily with the cornerbacks at training camp. In addition, they are switching his number from 80 to 16.

“Bo is going to spend most of his time at corner,” Gutekunst told reporters at his press conference at the start of camp. “I think we switched his number to 16 because that looks a little bit better than the 80 he was running out there at camp. He’ll spend most of time, especially these first three or four weeks, at corner.”

LaFleur explained the move by saying, “We know what he is as a wide receiver,” the coach explained. “It just gives him the best opportunity moving forward to carve out a role in that spot.”

The math is simple. As the Packers open training camp, they have 12 players on their 90-man roster at wide receiver, not including Melton. Even if you eliminate Christian Watson, who will start the season on the PUP list, the Packers will likely keep only six receivers on their initial 53-man roster. We also know players like Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, and Romeo Doubs will make the team, as will draft picks Matthew Golden and Savion Williams. That leaves seven players fighting for one roster spot and perhaps two spots on the practice squad.

There are 11 cornerbacks on the roster including Melton, but the battle for roster spots is fairly wide open beyond the top three of Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs, and Carrington Valentine. By sheer numbers, Melton has a better chance of making the team at cornerback than he does as a receiver.

Bo Melton Faces An Uphill Battle to Make the Packers Roster: A Tough Switch

Players have made position switches before and done it successfully. But usually, the switches are at related positions. For example, LeRoy Butler started his career as a cornerback and was moved to safety. Charles Woodson did the opposite late in his career, moving from cornerback to safety when he was slowing down.

Elgton Jenkins has started seasons at tackle and guard and will now move to center once he’s healthy.

Other players have moved from tight end to fullback or visa versa. But all of these positions are similar despite some important differences. Melton is switching sides of the ball and will be trying to switch to a position he has not played since high school.

It’s clear the team likes Melton and will give him every chance to make this switch. If he shows enough promise at cornerback, Melton could stick with the Packers on the practice squad. That would give him a chance to continue to learn the position and be with the team. He could be elevated at either cornerback or receiver or to play on special teams.

But as far as making the initial 53-man roster, Melton faces an uphill battle to make the team.