Forget Travis Hunter and his ability to play two ways. How about someone who can take on four roles for your team?
That's what the Green Bay Packers have seemingly unlocked with Bo Melton. All joking aside, it's fascinating to hear about the various roles the Packers have him playing during the offseason workout program, and it could make him too valuable to leave off the 53-man roster later this summer.
So, let's rewind. If you missed it, the Packers raised eyebrows this week by cross-training Melton at cornerback. It's something Matt LaFleur discussed with Melton in the past, and they are finally giving him that opportunity to prove himself.
But it didn't stop there. Beyond his usual wide receiver and valuable special teams contributions, the Packers have experimented with Melton in the *checks notes* backfield?!
"Bo Melton just lined up in the backfield in pony. He's the new Slash," Andy Herman of Packer Report wrote from the team's final minicamp practice.
The more you can do, right? We may never see Melton lined up next to Josh Jacobs in pony during the regular season, but it's interesting to hear about the various ways the Packers could use him.
And, back to that cornerback experiment, it turns out it's actually going pretty well.
Bo Melton has huge opportunity to leave Packers with no choice regarding his roster spot
If we're being completely honest, Melton likely won't make the 53-man roster just as a wide receiver. He's undoubtedly talented, but the Packers have invested heavily at the position and it's far too crowded.
But if we can also play some snaps on defense, line up across the formation on offense, and become a regular on special teams (which we already know he can), look out.
"For those wondering - Melton is lining up a lot at outside corner," Herman added. "Not just saying this but he legitimately looks like he can hang so far. Def intrigued."
Yes, yes, it's only minicamp. It's not the time to overreact. OK, who am I kidding? I've overreacted, so let's dive all the way in.
Melton may lack NFL experience at cornerback, but it's not a totally wild move. His brother, Max, plays cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals, who drafted him in the second round a year ago. Both players are outstanding athletes. However, Bo actually has the slight advantage in Relative Athletic Score (9.38 to 9.17) at the cornerback position. Just saying.
It's also not unheard of for wide receivers to switch to cornerback (or, in Travis Hunter's case, to do both). Sam Shields spent most of his college career at wide receiver before moving to defense in his final year. He became a Pro Bowl corner in Green Bay.
Melton's role(s) have taken the Packers' minicamp headlines, and we're here for it. There's a clearer path to a roster spot via defense and special teams, especially after the team released Jaire Alexander. Melton isn't a replacement for the All-Pro, but the Packers would welcome added cornerback depth.
Who will catch passes from Jordan Love? Melton. Who will intercept passes from opponents? Melton. Who will line up next to Josh Jacobs in the backfield and become a regular on special teams? You guessed it.
Can he rush the passer? The Packers may need some help there, too.
How the Packers use Melton at training camp is a storyline to watch closely. We're all rooting for him, and while he must climb the biggest mountain of his career to become a consistent NFL cornerback, it might be his best path to a roster spot.
So far, so good.