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The Battle for the Packers Final Receiver Spot Heats Up
The Green Bay Packers entered training camp with their wide receiver situation mostly decided. After not re-signing Romeo Doubs and trading away Dontayvion Wicks, the Packers undisputed starting trio became Christian Watson and Matthew Golden on the outside and Jayden Reed in the slot. Last year’s third-round pick Savion Williams is expected to be the next player on the depth chart.
That leaves two spots left on the depth chart assuming the Packers again keep six wide receivers on the initial 53-man roster. GM Brian Gutekunst signed return specialist and wideout Skyy Moore as a free agent this offseason. If Moore is the primary return man, he will lock up a roster spot leaving just one spot left on the 53-man roster. As of now, Moore is off to a good start in camp.
Head coach Matt LaFleur likes what he’s seen thus far from Moore. “I do think there’s more out there for him as a wide receiver. When you watch him with the ball in his hands, it’s undeniable,” LaFleur said. “The guy’s strong, he can run through tackles, he can make people miss. He’s done a good job of picking up our playbook. I think it did help, the year in San Francisco to get familiar with some of the concepts and he’s done a really good job up to this point.”
That leaves one wide receiver spot left on the roster. Thus far in camp, there are three players who are fighting for that spot. They include veteran Bo Melton and undrafted players Isaiah Neyor and J. Michael Sturdivant.
Melton has been with the Packers for three seasons. He spent the first two years as a wide receiver but was switched to cornerback last season and still made the team. He didn’t take any snaps on defense during the regular season but did fill in at wide receiver when injuries hit. Melton also contributes on special teams.
The coaching staff knows Melton and likes his attitude and work ethic. On Melton, offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said: “He plays his heart out for the team, he's a physical player, he's fast, every day he shows up with a smile on his face and a great attitude. I love coaching Bo, he’s awesome. Every time he makes a play, I’m not surprised at all.”
Melton is a known quality, but after three seasons with the team, he has likely reached his potential, without much more significant upside. You know what you’re getting with Melton, but you’re probably not getting much more than what he’s already shown.
Neyor spent last season on the Packers practice squad. He originally signed with the 49ers in 2025 after going undrafted, but they released him in early August, and the Packers added him to the practice squad. Neyor stood out during OTAs and mandatory minicamp. He has continued to make plays at training camp which keeps him in the running for that final roster spot.
Neyor has the size the Packers look for at 6’4” and 218 pounds. His size gives him the tools to block well, something LaFleur likes to see from his receivers.
Meanwhile, Sturdivant was signed as an undrafted free agent after this year’s draft. He has an elite relative athletic score of 9.96. What hasn’t been there over the course of his college career is consistent production. In fact, Sturdivant never matched the production he had in his first college season.
Still, the Packers have been impressed with Sturdivant since he signed with the team. He’s getting open and making plays in practice but still does struggle at times with drops.
Like Neyor, Sturdivant has good size at 6’3” and 207 pounds. The key question with Sturdivant is whether he can get more consistent production out of the natural talents he unquestionably possesses.
It is likely only one of these three players makes the initial 53-man roster barring injuries or unexpected developments. The Packers will likely try to get the other two onto the practice squad if they clear waivers. How these players perform for the rest of training camp and in preseason games will determine who gets the final roster spot. Will the coaches play it safe and go with Melton, or will they take a chance on either Sturdivant or Neyor’s potential down the road? We will soon find out.
Filed Under: FeaturedGil Martin
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NFL Categories: Green Bay PackersTags: Green Bay Packersbo meltonIsaiah NeyorJ. Michael Sturdivant
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