New York Giants Draft Prospect: CB Max Melton

The Giants could use some additional depth at cornerback. What does Rutgers CB MAx Melton offer in that regard?

Max Melton, CB

Height: 6’0
Weight: 190 lbs
Class: Senior
School: Rutgers (Statistics) 

Max’s real name is Malachi, and he’s a former three-star recruit from Cedar Creek High School in Egg Harbor City, New Jersey. He was the 22nd NJ recruit and the 79th CB recruit during the 2020 recruiting cycle. Melton originally committed to play for Purdue, but followed his older brother to Rutgers.

Melton’s parents were both athletes at Rutgers; his father, Gary, played football, and his mother, Victoria, was a basketball champion. His older brother Bo was a seventh-round pick by the Seahawks in the 2023 NFL Draft and is currently on the Green Bay Packers; he finished the season in dynamic fashion with six catches for 105 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings. Their older brother Gary Jr. played football at Delaware State University.

Melton was an honorable mention All-Big-10 selection for two consecutive years. He was suspended for three games, along with a teammate, during the 2021 season due to an incident where the two shot paintballs that injured other individuals. Although Melton was in his fourth season, he did have an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19. However, he decided to forgo the year and enter the draft. He will attend the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

Strengths

• Solid overall size and length
• Excellent athletic upside with superb explosiveness
• Quick to trigger downhill - impressive short-area movement
• Physical player at the line of scrimmage with good press skills
• Solid overall footwork near the LOS
• Excellent play strength in press
• Eyes from off leverage, instinctive
• Will thrive with pattern-match eyes
• Ball skills + Recovery, and timing make him excellent in trail technique
• Elite click & close from depth
• All the movement skills to succeed in man coverage
• Does well to stay in the hip on horizontal crossing routes
• Good recovery skills when beat (which doesn’t happen often)
• Great recognition and eye discipline in zone
• Very good overall awareness near the line of scrimmage
• Elite as Cover-2 TRAP player/ against two-man route concepts (High-Low) to outside
• Very annoying with his hands (could elicit yellow laundry)
• Shot out of a cannon type of tackler
• Goes low and relies on hit power to tackle
• Desirable physicality - massive pop on contact
• Good overall job at defeating blocks
• Had several plays late in the 3rd Quarter vs. Indiana that displayed this trait
• Elite competitive toughness
• 3RD & 9 Q4 vs. Ohio State, clocked 21.3 MPH on a true sideline-to-sideline touchdown-saving tackle

Watching Rutgers CB Max Melton (brother of Bo Melton) for @Patricia_Traina, and there is a ton to appreciate about the man who will be at the @seniorbowl

This one play against Ohio State did stick out from a competitive standpoint. Coaches are going to love this lol. pic.twitter.com/vYNLDstde7

— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) January 2, 2024

Weaknesses

• Would like to see more consistency at the top of WR’s break
• Well disguised WR stems forced Melton to engage his impressive recovery
• Lost on Sluggo vs. Virginia Tech due to stem fake at break
• Lost on inside leverage vs. a slant for a TD Michigan State
• Lost vs. Zay Flowers on fade (2022)
• Love his tackling upside, but he’s wild and inconsistent
• Had a 26.7% missed tackle rate in 2023

Summary

Max Melton had a phenomenal senior season for Rutgers and possesses great eye discipline and route savviness for zone coverage with all the necessary athletic traits to compete at the NFL level in man coverage. 

His aggressive nature is admirable and does lead to interceptions and huge tackles, but he must become a more sure tackler to avoid mistakes. His combination of coverage, willingness in run support, and competitive toughness will likely make Melton a coaching - and draftnik - favorite. Max should hear his name called well before his brother Bo did in last year’s draft.

GRADE: 6.48

Nick Falato

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