Pros and cons of Arizona Cardinals picking Rutgers football’s Max Melton in 2024 NFL Draft
Max Melton is officially headed to the NFL.
The Arizona Cardinals drafted the former Rutgers cornerback in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft Friday night.
Melton was the 43rd overall pick.
He is Rutgers' highest draft pick since Devin McCourty went 27th overall in 2010. Offensive lineman Anthony Davis 11th overall in that same draft.
The 5-foot-11, 187-pound Melton, who steadily climbed draft boards in recent weeks with strong pre-draft showings at the Combine and Pro Day, now follows his brother Bo, a former Rutgers wide receiver and 2022 seventh-round pick who now is with the Packers, into the NFL.
Melton is the latest defensive back to go from Rutgers to the NFL, joining a list that includes Jason and Devin McCourty, Duron Harmon, Logan Ryan and most recently Christian Izien, Tre Avery and Christian Braswell.
What Max Melton brings to the Arizona Cardinals in the 2024 NFL Draft
Melton is a productive cornerback with versatility – he can play on the outside or inside. He has tremendous athleticism and speed, which he showed at the NFL Combine with a 4.39 40-yard dash.
He has high football IQ and was tasked with shutting down some of the Big Ten’s top receivers, which isn’t an easy task.
Melton’s a tough player, too. He played with a broken hand through the early part of the 2023 season.
Melton's a physical, hard-hitting, cornerback.
“I think Max has all the tools to be a really, really good cornerback in the NFL,” Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said last month following the Scarlet Knights’ Pro Day. “He plays inside, he plays outside. He’s a great special-teams player. And he loves football, and he’s a good person. When you take all that and you know that he’s got an older brother who already plays in the league, as an NFL team, I’m sure that makes them feel very comfortable with Max.”
Schiano has a proven track record of developing NFL-ready defensive backs.
Cons of the Arizona Cardinals drafting Max Melton
There aren't many.
Melton was a productive player who has potential to develop into an impact cornerback in the NFL.
Some scouting reports describe Melton as needing to be more consistent with his tackling or having a tendency to watch the quarterback for too long, which could delay or negate his chances to make plays.
But those are issues that he should be able to iron out at the next level.
Max Melton’s stats with Rutgers football
Melton, who earned an invite to the Reese’s Senior Bowl as well as the Combine, started 40 of the 43 games he played in while with the Scarlet Knights. He finished his college career with 22 pass breakups, eight interceptions and 114 tackles (nine for loss).
He recovered four fumbles and forced one.
A dynamic special teams player also, Melton blocked four punts.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Arizona Cardinals draft Max Melton in 2024 NFL Draft: Pros, cons
