There was noticeably a different sight at Green Bay Packers' minicamp on Tuesday—wide receiver Bo Melton was taking practice snaps at cornerback. Melton, who signed with the Packers in 2022, has spent his pro career only at receiver so far, but the Packers are now experimenting with using him at corner.
Melton has primarily been a depth piece at receiver in his three years with Green Bay. Over the 2024 season, Melton only caught eight passes for 91 yards and has a total of 309 career receiving yards. With a crowded Packers' receiving room featuring wideouts Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Romeo Doubs and first-round pick Matthew Golden, a transition to cornerback could potentially offer Melton a greater chance at seeing the field more often outside of special teams.
"We've talked about this for a couple of years, just his skill set and how versatile he is. You watch him on teams and you're like, wow, he can probably do some of that," Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said of the decision. "I think it's just something we're going to look at and see if that's a possibility. There have been very few guys have done it in our league, but there have been a few. And when a guy is able to do that, it certainly helps your football team. Bo is everything we want in a football player out there as far as his ability as a receiver, on teams, and he's able to add this to his arsenal he'll be really, really valuable to us."
Asked #Packers GM Brian Gutekunst about the decision to workout Bo Melton with the corners during individuals today.
— Ashley Washburn (@ashleyjwashburn) June 10, 2025
“It’s just something we’re going to take a look at and see if that’s a possibility.”
Here was his full answer: pic.twitter.com/0v3EpPCoK1
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was asked Tuesday if the decision to try Melton out at corner was out of intrigue or because of need. LaFleur responded, “A little bit of both," via ESPN's Rob Demovsky.
The move comes after the Packers released former Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander this week. The Packers were unable to rework Alexander's contract, and due to that and his injury history, he was released. With Alexander officially gone, Carrington Valentine and Keisean Nixon are currently expected to take on the starting corner roles, but the team has room for greater depth at the position.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Packers Put Wide Receiver Through Cornerback Drills After Releasing Jaire Alexander.
