The Green Bay Packers are attempting to transition Bo Melton to defense, as the wide receiver room is crowded and the team is looking to find him a role. Melton has shown promising progress on the defensive side of the ball, which was evident when he perfectly defended Matthew Golden.
“Midway through Saturday night’s practice, Melton knew he needed to flip his hips and make a beeline for the end zone. A Jordan Love bomb was coming,” Packersnews.com’s Ryan Wood wrote. “Melton matched Golden all the way down the left sideline, giving Love no window to connect. When the football dropped out of reach, it was a signature rep in Melton’s development.”
Although Melton is still developing as a cornerback, he remains a valuable contributor on special teams — which may be his best path to making the roster.
“Rich Bisaccia believes Bo Melton will be an ‘elite’ special teams play, impressed with what he's doing as he transitions to cornerback: ‘16, green man. He's still Bo Melton. He's fast. He's still got a smile on his face.’ Seems to bode well for his shot at a 53 spot,” Wood posted.
However, the Packers signed Corey Ballentine on Monday, bringing back a familiar face to the secondary. This move doesn't bode well for Melton's future in Green Bay.
“Corey Ballentine returning likely hurts the sticking power of Bo Melton on the 53 man roster,” Ken of Packers Cap posted.
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While nothing is set in stone, Ballentine’s return adds another player to the room Melton is still learning. If Ballentine was signed with the expectation of making the roster, that could mean there are only one or two spots left — putting even more pressure on Melton.
It’s now critical that Melton continues to develop — and fast. If his growth stalls, a roster spot could easily go to someone else in the same position group. With Ballentine back in Green Bay, Melton may be facing his toughest challenge yet.