Who Should I Start? Bo Melton or Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Wednesday, January 7, 12:19 PM

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said that cornerback/wide receiver Bo Melton (knee) will be placed on Injured Reserve and won't be available in the playoffs, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Melton doesn't have a torn ACL, but it will take him too long to recover from the knee injury that he suffered in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Minnesota Vikings. The 26-year-old was mostly a contributor on special teams for the Packers in 2025, as he caught just four passes on offense for 107 yards and one touchdown on 13 targets over 16 games (one start). In his three NFL seasons with the Packers, Melton has only 28 catches on 54 targets for 416 yards and two touchdowns in 38 games played.

Wednesday, December 31, 12:25 AM

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. has had a quiet rookie season, recording 10 catches (29 targets) for 135 yards and zero touchdowns in 14 games. Thornton earned steady playing time out of the gate -- 61.8% of the snaps over the first five weeks -- and drew at least two targets in each game. Known for his speed and big-play ability as a prospect, he showcased his explosiveness for the Raiders in the first three games of his career, hauling in five of his 12 targets for 94 yards. The Tennessee product posted a 25% explosive-catch rate, tied for the highest in the league among receivers with at least 12 targets during that span. The rookie fourth-rounder's snaps eventually faded, beginning in Week 11, where he played on only 38.3% of snaps and gradually declined every week until bottoming out to 7.4% in Week 16. However, in Week 17, with the Raiders competing for the No. 1 overall pick, Thornton's snaps spiked to 78%. He recorded just two catches (four targets) for 12 yards, but he had his most receptions and targets in a game since Week 3. Looking to 2026, Thornton profiles as a big-play threat who is unlikely to be a consistent producer week to week.