GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers might have discovered their own version of Travis Hunter in Bo Melton. The backup receiver, who has played in 22 games over the past two seasons, recently did something extraordinary during a Packers practice: he played both wide receiver and cornerback within the same drill.

This unique experiment was partly out of necessity due to the absence of injured corners Kalen King and Micah Robinson, but it also reflects coach Matt LaFleur's genuine belief in Melton's dual capabilities. LaFleur first broached the idea of Melton playing cornerback when he joined the team late in the 2022 season.

"He was like, 'You ever play cornerback?'" Melton recalled after Wednesday's minicamp practice. "That's when it first got in my mind. And then after that I forgot, and now it came back. And everybody was hinting at it."

Melton, a seventh-round pick in 2022, has accumulated 24 catches for 309 yards and 1 touchdown. Despite his modest stats, his versatility has caught the attention of the coaching staff. During minicamp, Melton made his debut as a cornerback while still wearing his white No. 80 jersey, typically reserved for offensive players.

"I know there's a lot of attention with Hunter down there in Jacksonville with what he's doing," LaFleur said, referring to the Jaguars' two-way rookie. "So we just kinda presented it to him, and he said he was up for the challenge."

Melton, however, is quick to clarify that he is not Travis Hunter, the highly-touted second-overall pick known for his two-way prowess. Melton last played both positions in high school and has not taken snaps at cornerback since his early practices at Rutgers.

"Travis is a different athlete, as everybody knows," Melton said. "He's a Heisman Trophy winner, won a lot of awards. I'm not going to compare myself to somebody that's done that. But what I will say is I like to run for days."

Melton's versatility extends beyond the field. His brother, Max, a second-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals, was surprised to learn about Bo's new role. "I had to tell him, 'Look, man, I can't tell you everything. But yeah, I'm going to try it out and see how it is,'" Bo added.

Teammates and coaches alike have been impressed by Melton's adaptability. "It's different when you see a receiver come over there and he's wearing No. 80 and you see him in a one-line drill," Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine said. "But when you see him start doing it, we like 'Oh yeah, he got him some Melton blood right there, for sure.'"

Quarterback Jordan Love also shared his experience of throwing a pass to Melton, only to find him defending a pass a few plays later. "That was definitely confusing," Love said. "During the jog-through, I was mentioning that it looked like Bo was a receiver out there, but he was actually playing DB, so I was trying not to throw it to him."

Melton's journey is a testament to his hard work and versatility. With the addition of rookie receivers Matthew Golden and Savion Williams, Melton's ability to contribute on both sides of the ball could secure his spot on the roster. "Bo is everything we want in a football player out there as far as his ability as a receiver, certainly on [special] teams," Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said. "If he's able to add to his arsenal, that makes him really, really valuable to us."