Tag: Max Melton

Expected role for rookie CB Max Melton in 2024

The Cardinals’ second-round pick is in line to be one of the team’s top three cornerbacks in the defensive rotation.

The Arizona Cardinals used their second-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft to select cornerback Max Melton out of Rutgers. They traded back from the 35th overall pick to No. 43 overall to land him.

Melton has size and athleticism. He also has some really good tape.

So what role can he be expected to play?

The Cardinals already have two presumed starting cornerbacks on the roster. One is Garrett Williams, drafted in the third round last year, who jumped into the nickel role immediately when he returned from his ACL tear midseason.

The other is veteran Sean Murphy-Bunting, signed to a three-year free agent deal in the offseason.

That leaves one starting role left.

Melton enters his rookie season expected to fill either the CB2 or CB3 role.

It depends on what the Cardinals envision for him and Williams.

If they continue to use Williams in a nickel/slot-only role, it opens the door for Melton to start on the boundary in base defenses opposite Murphy-Bunting.

Williams could also be used in an inside-outside role, where he is one of the top two corners in base sets and then slides inside when the third corner, presumedly Melton, plays outside.

Third-round pick Elijah Jones might have something to say about the starting role, but Melton’s second-round status makes him the favorite to either start or play as the third corner in the rotation.

Melton has the same inside-outside flexibility that Williams has, so defensive coordinator Nick Rallis should have fun finding ways to use them both with Murphy-Bunting.

And if for some reason, Jones makes it hard for Melton to play defense, he should be a key special teams player. He blocked four punts in college and was a starting gunner for his team.

That is how another another former second-round pick (safety Budda Baker) started when there wasn’t a spot in the starting lineup at the start of his rookie season. He was a Pro Bowl special teams player his rookie season, so that is also a potential “low-end” expectation for Melton.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

 

How the Arizona Cardinals got themselves a whole new secondary in the 2024 NFL Draft

The Arizona Cardinals may have had the NFL’s worst secondary in 2023, and they addressed that with a passion in the 2024 NFL draft.

Last season, the Arizona Cardinals ranked dead last in Defensive DVOA, and only the Washington Commanders “led” by Jack Del Rio (until Del Rio was fired) and Ron Rivera were worse in DVOA against the pass. Head coach Jonathan Gannon didn’t have a lot to work with in the secondary — safety Jalen Thompson was the only Arizona defensive back in 2023 who allowed an opponent passer rating of less than 80.0, and only Thompson had more than one interception with his four.

So, general manager Monti Ossenfort, assistant GM Dave Sears, and Gannon had a lot they needed to accomplish in the draft. Certainly in terms of draft currency, they did all they could to improve things with the selections of Rutgers cornerback Max Melton with the 43rd overall pick in the second round, Boston College cornerback Elijah Jones with the 90th overall pick in the third round, and Texas Tech safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson with the 104th overall pick in the fourth round.

Both Melton and Jones are true outside stopper cornerbacks, and Taylor-Demerson has the range to play the deep third, leaving Jalen Thompson to do his thing closer to the line of scrimmage. If all these guys pan out early, the Cardinals could have one of the NFL’s most obviously-transformed secondaries in the 2024 season.

“I had about 20 [minutes] with him,” Gannon said of Max Melton in the pre-draft process. “Just his seriousness and intensity, honestly. This guy’s a very serious person. The mentality that we’re looking for fits the price of admission and [after] having him talk through some things, I could tell he was very well-schooled, well-trained, well-coached, and he understood what they were trying to get done there. I really fell in love with his mindset, his attitude and his demeanor. He walked down and I was like that’s a serious person and I liked that.”.

Last season, Melton allowed 24 catches on 44 targets for 252 yards, 72 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, three interceptions, three pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 65.7.

As for Elijah Jones, he was one of the NCAA’s better true island cornerbacks in this class — he allowed 13 catches on 40 targets for 194 yards, 58 yards after the catch, one touchdown, five interceptions, six pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 18.1 — which means that opposing quarterbacks were better off throwing the ball into the stands than they were trying to get it past Jones.

Taylor-Demerson was one of my favorite defensive backs in this draft, and my favorite deep-third safety. I was happy to see that the Cardinals see him in a similar fashion.

“Absolutely, he’s played safety down there for them,” Ossenfort said of Taylor-Demerson as a deep-third defender. “Really his best attributes I’d say are his range and his ball skills. He really has a nose for the football. I think he’s going to be able to play the deep half of the field and then we’ll see what else he can do. Versatility will come after that, but we think he brings a versatile element and range to the back half of the defense.”

My scouting report agrees.

Cardinals 2nd-round pick Max Melton gets old college number

Melton will wear No. 16 for the Cardinals in 2024.

The Arizona Cardinals have not announced rookie numbers yet but their draft picks and other rookies will take the field Thursday for rookie minicamp in their new threads.

While they have not announced them, they have their uniforms.

The Twitter/X account NFL Jersey Numbers has leaked numbers for the Cardinals rookies and they matched the numbers for the team’s two first-round selections, who revealed the same numbers on their social media accounts.

As for cornerback Max Melton, the Cardinals’ second-round pick out of Rutgers and selected No. 43 overall, he will wear the same number he did while in college at Rutgers. He will wear No. 16.

No. 16 is not a traditional cornerback number but he will surely wear it proudly and probably won’t look to change it later as it was his college number.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

 

Rookie CB Max Melton draws comparisons to Darius Slay

The Cardinals’ second-round pick reminds Brian Baldinger of Eagles cornerback Darius Slay.

The Arizona Cardinals made cornerback Max Melton their selection in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft, taking him with the 43rd pick in the draft after trading back eight slots.

The Cardinals are excited about him with his athleticism, his willingness to play on special teams and his aggressive play.

In fact, he has drawn comparisons to a cornerback that head coach Jonathan Gannon had a lot of success with when he was the defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles.

He reminds NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger of Darius Slay, he said in an exclusive interview with Rutgers Wire recently.

“I mean, he just loves to compete. And honestly, when I watch him, he reminds me of a very young Darius Slay – they are almost identical in all their measurements,” Baldinger said in the interview.

“Max….is not as tall but every bit as fast,” he continued. “I mean all the measurables are very, very consistent and when I watched Darius as a young player in Detroit, I remember how aggressive. He wasn’t the tackler that Max is but he would challenge any receiver. If he was scrimmaging Pittsburgh he wanted Antonio Brown every play. So that’s kind of what it reminds me of Max — he wants their number one receiver inside, outside, wherever you are. And I think that’s what Arizona was getting. I think that’s what they liked about him.”

Slay was a Pro Bowler both seasons under Gannon in Philly and picked off six passes. He was generally considered their No. 1 corner.

If he can even start to approach that play in his first season, joining second-year cornerback Garrett Williams and free agent addition Sean Murphy-Bunting, the Cardinals’ cornerbacks could be pretty solid in 2024.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

 

Which All-Pro cornerback did Brian Baldinger just compare Rutgers’ Max Melton to?

NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger made a Pro Bowl comparison for Max Melton.

NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger has hesitation in comparing Max Melton to one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks in Darius Slay. Melton, a former defensive back at Rutgers, landed in a spot with the Cardinals in the NFL draft where he projects to get a lot of snaps.

The Cardinals selected Melton in the second round of April’s NFL draft, taking him No. 43 overall. At Rutgers, Melton was a multi-year starter who was an All-Big Ten selection at defensive back.

Baldinger, an analyst with the NFL Network who spent 12 years in the NFL as a standout offensive lineman, believes that Melton is a good fit with the Cardinals.

And he likened Melton to Slay, an All-Pro cornerback with the Philadelphia Eagles who has been a Pro Bowl selection six times in his NFL career.

“I mean, he just loves to compete. And honestly, when I watch him, he reminds me of a very young Darius Slay – they are almost identical in all their measurements,” Baldinger told Rutgers Wire in an interview last week.

“Max….is not as tall but every bit as fast.  I mean all the measurables are very, very consistent and when I watched Darius as a young player in Detroit, I remember how aggressive. He wasn’t the tackler that Max is but he would challenge any receiver. If he was scrimmaging Pittsburgh he wanted Antonio Brown every play. So that’s kind of what it reminds me of Max = he wants their number one receiver inside, outside, wherever you are. And I think that’s what Arizona was getting. I think that’s what they liked about him.”

This past season, Rutgers had a halftime lead over Ohio State before falling 35-16. One of the reasons why Rutgers very nearly upset the third-best team in the nation at the time was Melton’s performance against [autotag]Marvin Harrison Jr[/autotag].

Harrison, ironically a first round pick of the Cardinals, won the Fred Biletnikoff Award last year last year as college football’s best wide receiver.

[lawrence-related id=37843,37813]

Melton held Harrison to four catches for 25 receiving yards. It was the Ohio State standout’s second-lowest receiving tally of the season.

Baldinger thinks Melton landed in the NFL draft in a spot where he can be developed and compete for playing time.

[lawrence-related id=37686,37675]

“I thought he went to a good spot, number one, Arizona has built this thing piece by piece. I thought it was pretty interesting – he went at No. 43,” Baldinger said.

“Cooper DeJean, who a lot of people thought was a top three corner – he went 40. So it looks like (Melton) is in the top five. I mean, I thought he was a good player. I mean, obviously, he’s very, very aggressive. He’s a very good tackler. He refuses to be blocked on the perimeter. But I think his ball skills are as good as anybody in this whole business. And you know, he really challenges receiver – Marvin Harrison right up in his grill. He looks like he’s got the mindset to be a very good corner in this business.”

CB Max Melton is a grade-A selection in Round 2 for Cardinals

The Cardinals picked Max Melton in the second round after trading back eight spots.

The Arizona Cardinals selected cornerback Max Melton in Round 2 of the NFL draft last week. It was the third of 12 eventual selections in the draft.

Their pick of receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was an A-plus selection at no. 4 overall and defensive lineman Darius Robinson was an exciting selection at the end of the first round.

Their pick of Melton was another grade-A pick.

The Cardinals originally had the 35th overall pick and, after how the first round played out, they would have their pick of some of the best cornerback prospects in the draft.

Projected first-round corners Cooper DeJean and Kool-Aid Mckinstry were on the board. But then they traded back to No. 43 overall, picking up an extra third-round pick. DeJean and McKinstry went 40th and 41st.

That was cause for alarm until they took Melton.

Although he played for a Rutgers program that, at 7-6 in 2023, had its first winning season since 2014, his play an athleticism made him a popular value prospect. Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar had him in his top 50 prospects.

He is nearly as tall as DeJean and has longer arms. He tested better athletically.

He picked off multiple passes in three straight seasons and had 21 pass breakups over that span.

He matched up against Harrison when Rutgers played Ohio State and covered him well.

He also was a four-year gunner on special teams and blocked four punts in his college career.

He can play inside and out, giving the Cardinals versatility.

Plus, he was a greater value pick.

The Cardinals could have taken DeJean or McKinstry at No. 35. Instead, they got Melton and tight end Tip Reiman, the player they selected the extra third-round pick they got in the trade back.

Melton’s upside is as great as those other two corners and they got an additional player as a result.

The Cardinals deserve an ‘A’ for their selection of Melton.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

 

Max Melton’s rise from three-star recruit to the Arizona Cardinals impressed Greg Schiano

Greg Schiano reacts to the selection of Max Melton in the NFL draft.

The second round selection of Max Melton on Friday night in the NFL draft was fitting for the former Rutgers defensive back. And from the perspective of [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag], his head coach at Rutgers, it is the start of what could and should be a long career in the NFL.

Melton was among the first players to commit to Rutgers after the hiring of Schiano in late 2019. A three-star recruit at the time, Melton was ranked the No. 22 player in New Jersey by 247Sports.

Now after four years at Rutgers, Melton last week was taken as the No. 43 overall selection in the NFL draft.

Melton, who had committed to Purdue that summer, de-committed from the Boilermakers and committed to Rutgers all on the same December day. It was a show of trust from Melton in Schiano’s ability to develop him for the next level.

And given that Schiano has quite the reputation of developing defensive backs (Duron Harmon, Devon McCourty, Jason McCourty and Logan Ryan to name a few), it was trust from Melton that was well placed.

“I was really happy for Max. You know, he worked so hard to achieve that,” Schiano said on Tuesday during an interview with Anthony Herron of the Big Ten Network.

“He (is) a really a talented guy, but you know, one that maybe flew under the radar a little bit coming out of high school and that goes to show you with all the rankings and all those things. Max was the 43rd best player in the country according to the NFL draft.

“So very, very exciting. He’ll do a great job. He’ll play in that league a long time.”

Herron praised Schiano for the “mentality you’ve infused in that team” which he believes led to Melton’s development.

[lawrence-related id=37768,37763,37759]

Over the span of his four seasons at Rutgers, Melton totalled 113 total tackles, eight interceptions, 20 pass breakups, one forced fumble, and four fumble recoveries across 43 games.

NFL GM (now an ESPN analyst) on NFL draft pick Max Melton’s fit with the Cardinals

Mike Tannebaum sees Max Melton as a good fit in the NFL.

Max Melton became the latest Rutgers football draft pick when the Arizona Cardinals took the cornerback in the second round of the NFL draft. And one former NFL general manager, who is now an ESPN analyst, sees Melton as a good fit with the Cardinals.

Melton, the No. 43 overall pick in last week’s NFL draft, goes to Arizona with multiple years of starting at Rutgers.

Melton had a strong four years at Rutgers where he had 113 total tackles, eight interceptions, 20 pass breakups, one forced fumble, and four fumble recoveries across 43 games. His NFL draft prospects took a significant upswing this offseason following a strong week at the Senior Bowl as well as running a 4.39 time in the 40 at the NFL combine.

Former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum, now an analyst with ESPN, likes the fit of Melton with the Cardinals.

“He’s a great athlete, with starting potential, excellent pick by the Cardinals,” Tannenbaum told Rutgers Wire.

Tannenbaum is a former NFL general manager who is best known for building the New York Jets into a team that made consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances. He drafted players such as Hall of Fame cornerback Darrelle Revis and Nick Mangold, who was three times an All-Pro selection at center.

He now works as analyst for ESPN where he covers the NFL.

Melton was a member of the Rutgers 2020 recruiting class. He committed to Rutgers shortly after the return of head coach Greg Schiano to the program.

[lawrence-related id=37754,37748]

He was a three-star recruit and the No. 22 player in New Jersey according to 247Sports.

With the Cardinals, Melton has the chance to factor into the two-deep immediately. The Cardinals have a need at cornerback and Melton should factor into a role in the team’s secondary.

[lawrence-related id=37669,37744]

He is the younger brother of [autotag]Bo Melton[/autotag], a wide receiver with the Green Bay Packers.

What will the Arizona Cardinals get with NFL draft pick Max Melton? A film review

Max Melton should be an instant contributor for the Arizona Cardinals.

On Friday, Rutgers football Max Melton was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 43 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Cardinals needed to bolster their roster on defense, and they did just that, signing a lockdown corner in Melton.

According to Arizona’s general manager Monti Ossenfort, the Cardinals have been targeting the Rutgers cornerback for a while and had multiple meetings with the player.

Melton doesn’t lack confidence, recording eight interceptions in his four years at Rutgers and had 16 pass breakups the past two seasons. Also, he added three blocked kicks in 2022.

With the Cardinals, he will join forces with Big Ten rival Marvin Harrison Jr., who was a first round pick of the team. Harrison is a former Ohio State wide receiver and has played against Melton multiple times.

[lawrence-related id=37689]

At the NFL Combine in March, Melton ran a 4.39 time in the 40 with a vertical jump of over 40 inches and a long jump of more than 11 feet. Melton can help the Cardinals in whatever form or fashion, adding depth on Special Teams or locking down the opposing team’s best wide receiver.

Melton is a press cornerback, who plays aggressive at the line. He has good hips and speed, which allows him to compete with smaller, shifter wide receivers. But he thrives on physicality and has good awareness which allows him to go up against the likes of Harrison and compete effectively.

Naturally instinctive, he breaks well to the ball when it comes his direction. He is a sure and violent tackler as well who rarely whiffed at the Power Five level.

He is a versatile defensive back with good size and length, logging plenty of snaps as a slot and outside cornerback. Melton shows good awareness in zone coverage with proper spacing and does a great job of playing the ball when he can see it thrown. Also, the 5-foot-11, 187-pound cornerback is an aggressive and physical defender in the run game.

[lawrence-related id=37744,37736,37738]

Melton isn’t afraid to get stuck-in when it comes to run defense.

He sometimes gets caught with his back to the ball which is something that Melton will need to continue to work on. His aggressive play is an asset, but can also lead to pass interference plays.

For the Cardinals, the cornerback position had to be addressed this offseason, finishing 31st in the league in opposing passer rating (102.9) and 30th in receiving touchdowns allowed (32) last season.

[lawrence-related id=37686]

 

 

 

Arizona Cardinals NFL draft pick Max Melton scores TD in same game as his brother

Remembering when Max Melton and Bo Melton each scored a touchdown in the same game.

On Thursday night, Max Melton accomplished a lifelong goal when he was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL draft. The former Rutgers football defensive back now joins his brother in the NFL.

His brother is Bo Melton, a wide receiver with the Green Bay Packers who is coming off a strong second season in the NFL. Bo Melton was also a standout with Rutgers. Max Melton landed a good spot with the Cardinals where he is likely so see significant snaps as a rookie.

During his time at Rutgers, Max Melton was a consistent performer on a talented defense. One of his best moments came during the 2021 season when he scored a touchdown in the same game as his brother Bo Melton,

Against Temple, the Melton brothers showcased their skills as they each scored touchdowns for the Scarlet Knights in a less than two-minute span. Bo Melton started the scoring with a 40-yard touchdown. However, Max didn’t let his brother have all the fun as he recorded a pick-six shortly after. It was a moment the two will never forget.

CFB: Rutgers WR Bo Melton hauls in a 40-yard TD gets his brother DB Max Melton follows up with a pick-six vs Temple https://t.co/uLUq49FZlS

— Alain Keith Cabardo Daguio (@keithdaguio) September 4, 2021

 

In 43 games as a Scarlet Knight, Max Melton recorded 114 total tackles and eight interceptions. He added one touchdown to his resume during that stretch and forced one fumble. The 2024 draftee was also selected to the Fourth Team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele in December. While Rutgers continued to improve, Max Melton was at the center of their success.

[lawrence-related id=37689,37686,37664]

Although Melton wasn’t initially seen as a top 50 pick, his stock rose over the last few weeks. That was partly due to how well he did during the pre-draft process. Now, he will showcase his skills in the Arizona secondary.