Moving Bo Melton To Corner Is A Sign That He Probably Won't Make the Roster

Travis Hunter is often referred to as a unicorn for a reason.

The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted the two-way star at Colorado No. 2 overall for his unique ability to play wide receiver and cornerback at a high level. It's far from the norm and won't become common anytime soon.

Bo Melton is making the switch from wide receiver to cornerback. While it sounds fine in theory, it doesn't bode well for his chances at making the final roster.

A player probably has a better chance of making the Green Bay roster at cornerback than at receiver. The Packers have an abundance of wide receivers. Regardless of how it shakes out, at least a couple of names that would make a lot of rosters won't make the cut in Green Bay.

Cornerback is a top-heavy spot for Green Bay with a locked-in trio of Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs, and Carrington Valentine and a lot of uncertainty after that.

Looking at it through that prism offers a little optimism for Melton. However, the overall process taking place tells a different story. We've seen players attempt to make positional changes before with the Packers, and it doesn't turn out well.

Now there's Melton, who is attempting to carve out a role at cornerback instead of in a crowded wide receiver room. It feels like a final Hail Mary attempt for him to make the 53-man roster more than anything else. Melton plays special teams for Rich Bisaccia, and the Packers covet players who have that flexibility. By moving Melton to cornerback, the Packers are indicating that they like the player and his talent. However, they don't see a clear pathway to a roster spot, so they're doing everything possible to give the player a shot.

Head coach Matt LaFleur

Again, "knowing" what he is at wide receiver and having him completely change positions isn't a massive vote of confidence, even if some want to try and spin it that way.

Not to pile on, but there's a truism that if two players are wearing the same number in camp, it usually isn't a good sign for either player. With Melton's switch to cornerback came a number change, and now he and quarterback Sean Clifford are wearing the No. 16. Neither can make the roster with the same number, and both may be on the outside looking in when the calendar turns to September.

What Melton is doing is admirable, and it's even better that he's willing and going about it with an abundance of confidence. Many players in those shoes would feel slighted by a suggestion of a position change. However, by all accounts — including Melton's own words from June —he's embracing the challenge.

The problem is that when this idea was first teased earlier in the summer, it was under the premise that Melton would serve as a wide receiver who could also act as an emergency cornerback. Instead, Gutekunst and LaFleur both said on Wednesday that Melton will move forward competing for just a spot at cornerback, with the wide receiver label removed.

There's uncertainty at the backend of the depth chart at cornerback. From that perspective, it's not an impossible task for Melton to carve out a role there, as LaFleur put it.

On the other hand, this is the NFL. Switching from wide receiver to cornerback, or any position for that matter, isn't done because there's an overwhelming belief the player will shine in that new role. Like Melton's case, it's often done as a last-ditch effort to cling to a roster.

It'd be sweet to see Melton achieve that this summer, but it would also tell a lot about how flimsy the cornerback depth is behind the top three in Green Bay.