What will the Arizona Cardinals get with NFL draft pick Max Melton? A film review
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.
The moment Max Melton heard his name announced: https://t.co/2qkJvzZZAH pic.twitter.com/IyCkG4mycs
— Brian Fonseca (@briannnnf) April 27, 2024
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.
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.
