Max Melton, CB, Rutgers
Size:
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 187 pounds
Arm Length: 32 1/8"
Hand Size: 9 1/8"
Accomplishments:
Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (2023) • Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (2022)
“Max Melton is a physical and fearless defender who will stick his face in the fire versus the run. His scheme versatility is a strength in coverage.”
Strengths:
Scheme/coverage versatility
Competitiveness
Run support
Experienced coverage defender
Concerns:
Technically sloppy/aggressive
Locating the ball down the field
Segmented transitions
Film Analysis:
Max Melton has one of the hottest motors in the class. He gives full effort that NFL coaches are going to love and appreciate.
Melton is a fearless and confident defender who will be an asset in run support. He does a nice job squeezing and leveraging the ball from the perimeter as a force defender. Melton is a willing and capable tackler in run support.
His coverage skills are versatile and fluid. He will fit in both man and zone defenses. Melton loves to dictate the action with physicality at the line of scrimmage. He is comfortable as a bump-and-run defender in man coverage, aligned tightly to the line of scrimmage to disrupt the timing between the receiver’s route and the quarterback’s drop. Melton can stay in phase and close the receiver’s near hip.
As a zone defender, Melton does a great job getting to his landmarks with his drops. He will hinge and leverage himself into a position to play the middle of high-lo route concepts, like smash. Melton reads routes well and dictates his breaks.
Melton’s technique can be a little sloppy. This results from his over-aggressiveness in the contact window. He wants to be physical in press alignment and will two-hand jam in an attempt to knock the receiver off balance. This places Melton in compromising positions with his feet and transitioning. If the receiver slips his hands, he is instantly in trail technique and nearly out of phase. This is coachable and fixable. Melton lacks consistency when turning and locating the ball down the field. He will be super focused on his receiver but needs to improve awareness while the ball is in flight. When pressed vertically, his transitions to stop and drive can be a bit segmented.
Melton projects as a starting CB with slot/nickel flexibility. With his toughness and run support, playing him in the nickel in three-cornerback sets is best for the defense. Melton seems to be his best in man when he can dictate the action with bump-and-run coverage. That said, he can be a strong zone cornerback as well. Versatility is key for Melton’s draft stock.
Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Adequate Starter
Written By: Damian Parson
Exposures: Ohio State (2023), Michigan (2023), Maryland (2023), Wisconsin (2023)
