The Green Bay Packers had some tough decisions to make as they finalized their 53-man roster on Tuesday. One position where there was always going to be too much talent to retain was at cornerback, where nine players were competing for a roster spot.
Corey Ballentine, Kalen King, and Tyron Herring were all released -- with the first two releases serving as some of the bigger surprises from the day. Nate Hobbs, Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine, Kamal Hadden, Micah Robinson, and wide receiver-turned-cornerback Bo Melton were the six cornerbacks to make the Packers' Week 1 roster (although the team has since released Robinson).
Melton has been with Green Bay since the end of the 2022 season. However, he did not make his NFL debut until the following year. In 22 career games at wide receiver, he recorded 309 receiving yards and one touchdown on 24 receptions, adding 11 carries for 75 yards. He also appeared in three postseason games, hauling in three passes for 42 yards and a touchdown.
His path to retaining a roster spot at wide receiver became complicated after the team drafted Matthew Golden and Savion Williams in the first and third rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, respectively. The Packers opted to convert Melton to a cornerback during training camp, and the move has clearly paid off.
Packers CB Bo Melton makes 53-man roster after offseason position switch gamble
Gutekunst says there were much fewer moments than he expected of Bo Melton looking like a “fish out of water” at cornerback.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) August 27, 2025
Melton faced an uphill battle as he competed for a roster spot in a crowded cornerback room while playing the position for the first time since high school. He looked comfortable during the preseason, recording five total tackles, four solo tackles, and one pass defended.
"The second-year veteran drew effusive praise from (GM Brian Gutekunst) and the Packers' coaching staff not only for Melton's openness to a position switch but also his performance at the new position," writes Wed Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official website. "The 5-foot-11, 189-pound cornerback had five tackles and a pass breakup in three preseason appearances. Melton also is a core member of Green Bay's special teams, serving as a flyer and jammer on the punt units."
The Packers kept 11 defensive backs in total on the 53-man roster, marking the most the franchise has carried since 2020. That decision could be partially due to the uncertainty surrounding Nate Hobbs.
The free-agent acquisition has been sidelined for most of August after having knee surgery early in the month. He has yet to return to practice, and his status for Week 1 remains up in the air.