The Green Bay Packers are shifting Bo Melton from wide receiver to cornerback during training camp to see what he can do in the defensive secondary.
Melton, 26, made eight receptions on 17 targets for 91 yards in 17 games as a second-year reserve last season, and has 24 career catches for 309 yards and one score in 22 games (one start). He has also caught three passes for 42 yards and one touchdown in three career playoff games.
“Bo is going to spend most of his time at corner,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said at a press conference on Wednesday. “We know what he can do for us as a receiver and on special teams. He’s been an important part of our football team the last couple of years. We’re excited to see what he might be able to do at corner on defense.
“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,” Gutekunst continued. “He’ll spend most of his time, especially these first three or four weeks, at corner.”
Melton also is a gunner on special teams, and the team began to try him at cornerback during the offseason workout program.
The Seattle Seahawks selected Melton in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Rutgers, where he played 56 games at receiver and had 164 catches for 2,011 yards and 11 touchdowns from 2017-21.
His brother, Max Melton, 23, was a cornerback at Rutgers who plays for the Arizona Cardinals.
“When (the change) was brought to my attention, I started working a little more, working with some DB trainers, and I feel like I’m good with the movements,” Bo Melton said. “I just have to keep indulging in the playbook.”
Melton leaves a crowded wide receivers room headed by veterans Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson, the latter of whom is recovering from an ACL tear.
The Packers went against their history and selected a wide receiver in the first round, speedster Matthew Golden, as well as third-round pick Savion Williams. Green Bay also signed seventh-year pro Mecole Hardman, 27, a three-time Super Bowl champion with Kansas City (2019, 2022-23).
Among the veteran cornerbacks on the Packers are Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine and Nate Hobbs.
Green Bay released two-time All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander on June 9 amid a contentious relationship between the two parties. The Packers were seeking to restructure his contract, frustrated over his lack of availability. Alexander, 28, appeared in just 14 games over the past two seasons combined.
Alexander signed with the Baltimore Ravens on June 18.
