Seahawks 90-Man Roster Rundown: Bo Melton
With the calendar flipping to July and offseason programs wrapped up across the country, NFL training camps will begin around the NFL in less than a month's time. To celebrate the new incoming season, the All Seahawks staff will be breaking down the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst-case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2022 campaign.
Bo Melton, Receiver
Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 189 pounds
2021 Stats*: 55 receptions, 618 yards, three touchdowns
*College stats at Rutgers
Selected in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft out of Rutgers, Melton quickly became a trendy "steal of the draft" choice from many Seahawks fans, and it isn't difficult to see why. Melton ran a blistering 4.34 40-yard dash and posted an impressive 38-inch vertical jump and a 121-inch broad jump. His explosiveness and speed jump out on his tape, but unfortunately, Melton's opportunities were limited. It is highly unlikely that any wide receiver in college football played with worse quarterbacks in his career than Melton. In his four years at Rutgers, Melton snagged 164 passes for 2,011 yards and 11 touchdowns. Melton earned the honor of captain twice at Rutgers and was a top-notch gunner on special teams in college, which likely contributed to his selection.
Best Case Scenario: Melton shows value beyond special teams this preseason and earns a spot on the 53-man roster, where he eventually earns the trust of coaches to use his speed and tenacity as a kick/punt returner while seeing some opportunities on offense as well.
Worst Case Scenario: Melton struggles to get open on offense, loses the trust of coaches to handle any returning abilities, and gets outplayed on special teams, costing him a spot on the 53-man roster.
What to Expect in 2022: Even if Melton can't quite crack the receiving rotation, it would be a surprise if he's not able to contribute on special teams right away. He will need to learn how to run effective routes, which limits his role on offense for the meantime, but he can still carve out a role similar to Freddie Swain's rookie season covering kicks and punts along with other special teams duties. Melton is going to have to do a lot of the dirty work to get his shot to make it as a true receiver option in the NFL, but his value on teams will likely be seen right away and at worst, the Seahawks will hope to have him on the practice squad.
Previous Seahawks 90-Man Roster Profiles
Kevin Kassis | Cade Brewer | Liam Ryan | Deontez Alexander | Elijah Jones | Josh Turner | Scott Nelson | Joshua Onujiogu | Jarrod Hewitt | Darwin Thompson | Matt Gotel | Lakiem Williams | Tanner Muse | Greg Eiland | Aaron Fuller | Shamarious Gilmore | Cade Johnson | Dakoda Shepley | Deontai Williams | Bubba Bolden | Josh Johnson | Vi Jones | Dareke Young | Myles Adams | Jacob Eason | Tyler Mabry | Jon Rhattigan | Penny Hart | Josh Jones | John Reid | Mike Jackson | Tyler Ott | Cody Thompson | Joel Iyiegbuniwe | Tyreke Smith