Cardinals land CB Max Melton with 43rd pick

Melton is the Cardinals’ second-round pick after they traded back eight spots.

The Arizona Cardinals made fans wait a little bit for their second-round pick. After trading the 35th pick to the Atlanta Falcons, they landed a cornerback with the 43rd pick.

With pick No. 43, the Cardinals selected Rutgers cornerback Max Melton.

Melton is 5-foot-11 and 187 pounds with long 32 1/8-inch arms and a 76 5/8-inch wingspan. He has speed an athleticism to spare. He ran the 40 at the combine in 4.39 seconds and posted a 40.5-inch vertical leap and 136-inch broad jump. At his pro day, he ran the three-cone in 6.96 seconds.

He is 22 years old.

Last season, he had three interceptions and picked off eight over the last three seasons. He broke up 21 passes in three seasons.

In addition to his play at cornerback, he also was a star special teamer. He was a starting gunner on the punt team for four seasons and blocked four punts in his career, including three in 2022.

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