Who Should I Start? Bo Melton or Jacob Cowing

Thursday, June 12, 3:17 PM

Per NFL.com's Grant Gordon, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Bo Melton took practice reps with the defensive backs during this week's mandatory minicamp. "Everybody turned and looked at me like, 'What are you doing?'" said Melton on Wednesday. Despite this week marking the first time that the 26-year-old ran with the DBs, it isn't the first discussion he and coach Matt LaFleur have had about it. Reportedly, when Melton joined the team in 2023, LaFleur inquired about his defensive prowess from the short time he spent in Rutgers' defensive backfield early in his collegiate career. The former Scarlet Knight hasn't just been an offensive asset for the Pack during his tenure with the squad, as he's also recorded four tackles on 154 career special-teams snaps. Whether he sticks remains to be seen, but it's a smart move for Green Bay to try to develop him at the position after the departure of his former teammate Jaire Alexander.

Friday, June 13, 12:14 PM

The Athletic's Matt Barrows writes that one of the themes among coaches and players this spring was that nobody took better advantage of the offseason than San Francisco 49ers second-year wide receiver Jacob Cowing. The 24-year-old was selected 135th overall (fourth round) last year but had a minimal role, catching just four passes for 80 yards in 15 games (zero starts). However, he trained with quarterback Brock Purdy and receiver Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) early in the offseason and had a prominent role during spring practices. It helped that Pearsall, Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Jauan Jennings (calf) were sidelined, but it's notable nonetheless. Cowing has great speed and is doing a better job of maintaining it throughout his cuts and breaks. He's good with the ball in his hands and could be a nice little gadget player in 2025, although it's unlikely to amount to much fantasy value.