GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - The Packers begin their preseason schedule on Saturday against the Jets, and a pair of players are eager to hit the field.
Bo Melton has played wide receiver since joining the Packers late in the 2023 season, hauling in 24 catches with a touchdown across 22 regular season games. But this spring, the coaching staff decided to try him out at cornerback.
At first, it might have seemed far-fetched that he would make meaningful contributions at a position he had not played in years. Yet, with projected starting cornerbacks Keisean Nixon and Nate Hobbs not participating in team drills during Thursday’s practice, Melton got the nod with the first-team defense across from Carrington Valentine.
Melton was out there before any of the other 8 cornerbacks currently on the Packers roster, many of whom have been focusing singularly at that position for years. Melton is making a mark, which he admits is somewhat surprising even to himself.
“I definitely wasn’t expecting to make tons of plays,” Melton said. “I ain’t make a million of them, but I made some plays. I was like ‘Oh snap, okay.’ I did surprise myself.”
Earlier in training camp, Melton said that although he was happy to give cornerback a shot, he still saw himself as a wide receiver. This week, he was beginning to change his tune.
“I still love receiver as it is, but I’m starting to like corner a lot too.,” Melton said. “Being versatile in that area, I’m more open to it. Talking to (defensive passing game coordinator Derrick Ansley) every day, I’ve gotten into the position more and more so I feel more comfortable playing corner. I’d say right now I kind of like corner.”
Meanwhile, Arron Mosby is fighting for a roster spot along the defensive front. He found himself in a similar spot last year, but earned his spot on the initial 53-man roster thanks in large part to a strong performance in Green Bay’s final preseason game versus the Baltimore Ravens.
In that game, Mosby tallied both a strip-sack and an interception. He went on to play in 16 regular season games in the 2024 season. The added intensity of preseason games allows players on the fringes of the roster to make an impression on the front office and the coaching staff.
“You can finally put the aggression,” Mosby said. “Obviously you don’t want to go out there and hurt people and things like that, but we’re playing for something. It’s just not your teammates. When you go against other players, it’s just more fun. You can show more things, you can tackle people to the ground. When you’re in practice you can’t do that. Really just going out there, playing fun, playing actual real football.”
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