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Not every second-round draft pick finds immediate success in the NFL. That plain fact often obscures a player's initial evaluation in our society of instant gratification and immediate validation. Some are drafted with an eye for the future more than heavy usage in the present.
That's the basis for our series focusing on the 2024 second-rounders who didn't get a chance to do a lot as rookies, for a variety of reasons. First up was Cowboys EDGE Marshawn Kneeland, the No. 56 pick. Next up is the No. 43 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Cardinals CB Max Melton.
Selected out of Rutgers after an impressive college career with the Scarlet Knights, Melton spent most of his rookie campaign as Arizona's No. 3 outside corner. Playing behind starters Garrett Williams and Starling Thomas, Melton saw considerable action in a reserve role. He played 52 percent of the team's defensive snaps, starting three games--including the final two.
The two players who were the primary starters ahead of Melton in 2024 are back, with Sean Murphy-Bunting and Starling Thomas each returning. Melton is a more instinctive cover man than either, and his ball skills and increasingly sound run defense are poised for more growth. He finished with 45 tackles (31 solo), five PDs and a forced fumble while playing just over half of Arizona's defensive snaps.
Melton's growth throughout his rookie season should have him ahead of both Thomas and Murphy-Bunting on the Arizona depth chart sooner than later, if not already. However, Arizona's second-round pick in 2025 changes the dynamics.
The Cardinals drafted Will Johnson from Michigan with the No. 47 pick to add to the mix. Johnson was projected as a potential top-10 overall pick until injuries derailed his draft stock. If healthy and able to regain his old top speed, Johnson vaults to the top of the depth chart over Melton and the others, but that's for a (very intriguing) camp competition. Like Melton, Johnson is better in zone coverages than in man-heavy schemes.
Melton should emerge as a full-time starter on the outside in 2025, a role that would limit his strong contributions on special teams that he provided as a rookie.
This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: Max Melton: 2025 outlook for the Cardinals second-year cornerback
Continue reading...
That's the basis for our series focusing on the 2024 second-rounders who didn't get a chance to do a lot as rookies, for a variety of reasons. First up was Cowboys EDGE Marshawn Kneeland, the No. 56 pick. Next up is the No. 43 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Cardinals CB Max Melton.
Selected out of Rutgers after an impressive college career with the Scarlet Knights, Melton spent most of his rookie campaign as Arizona's No. 3 outside corner. Playing behind starters Garrett Williams and Starling Thomas, Melton saw considerable action in a reserve role. He played 52 percent of the team's defensive snaps, starting three games--including the final two.
The two players who were the primary starters ahead of Melton in 2024 are back, with Sean Murphy-Bunting and Starling Thomas each returning. Melton is a more instinctive cover man than either, and his ball skills and increasingly sound run defense are poised for more growth. He finished with 45 tackles (31 solo), five PDs and a forced fumble while playing just over half of Arizona's defensive snaps.
Melton's growth throughout his rookie season should have him ahead of both Thomas and Murphy-Bunting on the Arizona depth chart sooner than later, if not already. However, Arizona's second-round pick in 2025 changes the dynamics.
The Cardinals drafted Will Johnson from Michigan with the No. 47 pick to add to the mix. Johnson was projected as a potential top-10 overall pick until injuries derailed his draft stock. If healthy and able to regain his old top speed, Johnson vaults to the top of the depth chart over Melton and the others, but that's for a (very intriguing) camp competition. Like Melton, Johnson is better in zone coverages than in man-heavy schemes.
Melton should emerge as a full-time starter on the outside in 2025, a role that would limit his strong contributions on special teams that he provided as a rookie.
This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: Max Melton: 2025 outlook for the Cardinals second-year cornerback
Continue reading...
