The Green Bay Packers are in a tighter spot at cornerback after releasing two-time All-Pro Jaire Alexander. Nate Hobbs and Keisean Nixon will be the top two corners, but both have mostly played inside in the slot. That means Green Bay doesn’t have a corner with reliable experience playing on the outside.
On Tuesday, Packers GM Brian Gutekunst talked to reporters about the team’s cornerback room and shared some genuine praise for his starters.
“We have three really good starting corners," Gutekunst said.
Still, that does not mean Green Bay should shy away from getting creative or bringing innovative solutions to its cornerback room. In fact, one of those creative moves was on full display on the field at mandatory minicamp.
Green Bay Packers WR Bo Melton (80) runs for the five yards during the second quarter of their game against the San Francisco 49ers
Green Bay Packers WR Bo Melton (80) runs for the five yards during the second quarter of their game against the San Francisco 49ers
© Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Matt Schneidman of The Athletic shared a video on X from Tuesday’s practice that showed Packers' wide receiver Bo Melton getting reps at cornerback. He took part in individual drills alongside the cornerbacks and later saw action on both sides of the ball, lining up at receiver and corner during 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 sessions.
Schneidman also reported that Gutekunst said the Packers want to explore the possibility of Bo Melton playing cornerback, noting that the coaching staff has been discussing the idea internally.
"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," Gutekunst said while speaking to reporters.
"I think it's just something we're going to look at and see if that's a possibility," he added. "There have been very few guys have done it in our league, but there have been a few. And when a guy can 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."
Green Bay currently has 12 receivers on the team, so letting Bo Melton test out at cornerback could be a sign that he may have a tough time locking down a final roster spot as a wideout. At the same time, it is an interesting—if unconventional—way to test and possibly maximize his versatility.