One of the best stories from the Green Bay Packers’ 2023 season was the emergence of wide receiver Bo Melton. Now, he’s on a mission to prove it wasn’t a fluke.
Despite spending most of last season on the practice squad, Melton made the most of his elevations to the gameday roster, turning 15 catches into 211 yards and a touchdown over the team’s final three games. His most impactful performance came in Week 17 when he became the first Packers receiver all season to eclipse 100 yards receiving in a single game. His 105 yards on six catches, including a touchdown, helped propel the team to a comfortable win over the Minnesota Vikings on New Year’s Eve.
Over the past six months, Melton has seemingly turned around the trajectory of his career. Once a 2022 seventh-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks, he projects to be a significant contributor for Green Bay’s offense.
Melton’s journey of hard work and perseverance has certainly caught the attention of his head coach.
“I think it’s a great story just being persistent and to continue to push forward even when maybe the stacks are kind of put up against you,” said Matt LaFleur. “He’s done an outstanding job. He is so disciplined in his approach and how he is. He is so consistent on a daily basis, and he brings so much value.
“That’s what this league is all about. Some guys come in and make an immediate impact. Other guys have to continue to battle and show that resiliency that it takes and just continue to chop away. When given the opportunity, that’s when you like to see those guys go out there and perform, and he’s done that.”
So far this offseason, Melton is picking up where he left off.
During Wednesday’s OTA practice, he made the play of the day when he used his blazing 4.3 speed to get past the defense for a 75-yard touchdown. It was a perfect throw from the arm of Jordan Love, who has enjoyed watching Melton grow from a wide-eyed practice squad player to a consummate professional who expects to make plays.
“I think anytime you can go out there and prove who you are as a player, it helps you get that confidence going,” said Love. “Bo is the same guy every day. You know what you’re going to get. Bo came in and he definitely wasn’t a starter last year, but he worked. Every day, you’d see him on the scout team making plays and getting a touchdown and celebrating, and he’s going to treat it like a game.
“He comes in and works, and that’s why it was no surprise when his number was called, and he goes out there and makes plays. You see he’s continued to do that this year, but you know what you’re going to get. He’s a consistent guy, and he goes out there and works and tries to find ways to get better.”
How Melton will factor into the offensive game plan on a weekly basis remains to be seen. He can take the top off a defense, but so can Christian Watson. Meanwhile, Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, and Dontayvion Wicks all possess a unique skill set and playmaking ability that defenses have to account for. The beauty is that the Packers do not have a clear-cut number-one receiver, which is part of why this unit could be lethal in 2024.
“It’s a lot of guys that can make plays. We got a great staff that can draw the best plays up,” said Melton. “We have a lot of guys that can do different things: speed, route runners, and physical guys. It could be dangerous for sure.”
