The ‘Most Interesting Name’ at Cornerback for Packers

The Green Bay Packers are eyeballs-deep in depth at receiver but up to their ankles at cornerback. That, of course, is why the Packers and Bo Melton agreed to a position switch this offseason that could drastically change the cornerback depth chart and Melton’s career.

“We know what he is as a wide receiver,” coach Matt LaFleur said, “and I think it just gives him the best opportunity moving forward regards to if he can really carve out a role in that spot.”

Melton has a long way to go before becoming a viable member of the secondary. However, at Thursday’s practice, he stayed in Savion Williams’ back pocket on a crossing route before swatting away the pass. It would have been an impressive play by any cornerback, but it was especially impressive because Melton didn’t start getting action on the defensive side of the ball until minicamp.

At minicamp, Melton played receiver and cornerback. At training camp, Melton is a full-time defensive back.

“I feel like I’ve grown a lot,” Melton said. “I’d barely even played and I’m just going out there now and over there jumping certain routes. I’ve still got a long ways to go, but I feel like we’re on the right track. Playing receiver, I kind of know movements, releases, concepts, stuff like that.” 

As Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer noted in his camp visit on Thursday, Melton is “the most interesting name to watch” at cornerback.

“Melton, one of their best special-team players, is a tough, hard-nosed guy with the long speed, reactive athleticism, start/stop ability and change of direction to make the change,” he wrote.

If Melton is a success, it would be “huge” for the Packers, who don’t have a single cornerback beyond Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs and Carrington Valentine who played a snap on defense last season. If Melton struggles, the Packers could be in the market for a veteran.

Melton’s challenge is two-pronged, having to learn a different playbook while learning the skills and techniques of a position he hasn’t played since his freshman year at Rutgers. For the first part, he’s “with Coach DA (defensive passing-game coordinator Derrick Ansley) all the time” to learn the playbook and has leaned on the returning veterans to help with the transition.

“That’s just a testament to Bo (and) what he does,” Hobbs said. “He’s been a dog on special teams for a long time. He’s played receiver, he do jet sweeps, and now he’s playing defense. That’s once in a lifetime. He going to get to tell his kids, I was really like that. I played offense and defense, you know what I’m saying? That’s a defensive players dream to go play offense.”

He’s also turned to his brother, Max, a cornerback who was drafted in the second round by the Cardinals last year.

“When it was first brought to my attention, I started working with him a little more, working with some DBs, stuff like that, and I feel like I’m good with the movements,” Melton said. “I’ve just got to keep indulging in the playbook.”

For all the positive reviews, there is this reality: More often than not, position changes in the NFL don’t work. No matter how talented the player, it’s just so hard to outperform players who’ve honed their skills at a specific position for years.

Melton, though, sees the positive and is “hyped” about it. He is a well-respected player on the roster. He has great speed and athleticism. He works hard. His attitude is great. He’s got a proven track record on special teams, with some of those skills transferring to his new position. So, even in a crowded receiver room last year, Melton brought value to the roster.

Maybe, the team believes, he can add even more.

“That’s how I look at it. That’s the feeling I have about it,” Melton said. “I’m not changing positions because [I’m afraid] of competition. I’ve never been that type of person. (Jayden) Reed came in, (Dontayvion) Wicks came in, Grant DuBose came in when I was a receiver, and I thrived at the end of the year [in 2023]. If the team and the culture sees value in you, I just want to go with it.

“Some people might’ve been like, ‘No, no.’ But I feel like they see value in there. I’m going to attack it. They know the person I am, they know I know them very well, I just want to go out there and attack anything they give me, and they know I’m going to do that. So, I just want to add value to the team, no matter where it is.”

With a new position has come a new number, with Melton switching from No. 80 to No. 16.

“It’s a family number,” Melton said. “We wear that for my mom’s birthday and my mom and pop’s anniversary, and 16 I wore in high school, and I always wore that number. I can’t wear 80 at DB, I would never do that. I’d probably get torched just because of the number.”