The Packers took a look at Bo Melton as a cornerback during their offseason program and the experiment is set to continue in training camp.
Melton caught 24 passes as a wide receiver over his first two seasons with the team, but that position has gotten crowded heading into this season and Melton is getting a chance on defense in a bid to maximize his chances of contributing to the club. On Wednesday, General Manager Brian Gutekunst said at a press conference that the team will have him focused on defense in the coming weeks.
“Bo is going to spend most of his time at corner,” Gutekunst said. “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. He’ll spend most of time, especially these first three or four weeks, at corner.”
Head coach Matt LaFleur gave a similar answer regarding the plan for Melton and said this approach provides the “best opportunity” to see if Melton will be able to be part of the secondary come the regular season.