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Arizona Cardinals rookie cornerback Max Melton found out quickly how tough the NFL can be — especially at his position.
In back-to-back games last October against the Chargers and Dolphins, Melton gave up big plays and admitted those were his worst performances of the season. But instead of getting discouraged, the rookie used those moments as learning opportunities.
“Shoot, getting beat is going to teach you, you know what I’m saying?” Melton told ESPN. “You can show people getting beat, but until it happens to you, that’s when you’re really going to correct it.”
Melton, drafted by the Cardinals in the second round in 2024, started turning the corner in November. He began to play more consistently just as many first-year players tend to hit a wall. That improvement, he said, came from understanding the mental side of the game and gaining confidence in himself.
Learning the Why Behind the Play
Melton said one of the biggest changes in his game came when he started to understand why certain coverages were called — not just how to play them.
“That’s everything,” Melton explained. “That’s almost as important as the initial message. So, you could play man but if you don’t know why we’re playing man or why a certain type of man and a receiver runs a certain route where you’re supposed to be outside leverage and you run the out route and [the receiver] completes it, OK, you didn’t know that you had safety help on the inside or you had a robber on the inside.
“If you knew the why of the call, you would be outside and stay outside, knowing you got inside help. So, that’s just one example, but just knowing the why behind the calls is very important.”
Cardinals cornerbacks coach Ryan Smith saw Melton’s growth in how he picked up weekly game plans. Since each game plan changes week to week, so do the techniques and responsibilities for corners. Melton had to quickly move on from one game to the next — a skill that took time to master.
“I think Max has done a really good job of being a student of the game and learning and getting better in that aspect,” Smith said.
Adjusting to NFL Techniques
The physical side of Melton’s development also took time. Head coach Jonathan Gannon said the Cardinals teach their corners around eight different techniques — roughly double what most teams ask. That made the learning curve steeper.
Melton called the NFL techniques “very different” from what he used at Rutgers. In college, he played off the line more often. In Arizona, he had to learn to press and play tighter in both Cover 2 and cloud coverages.
Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis noticed Melton improving in press coverage throughout the year. When Melton struggled with a specific move, like defending inside releases, he’d show up 10 minutes early to practice and work on it.
Those extra reps helped. Watching film on his tablet also gave him an edge — especially since the clips came with coach voiceovers explaining the plays.
“There’s a lot to that position because it’s a high stressful position in terms of winning one-on-ones, but then there’s also a lot of thinking,” Rallis said. “And, so, really, to me, both those things have elevated throughout the season.”
A Rookie Season of Growth
Gannon liked how Melton developed his awareness and decision-making. He wanted Melton to go through the full experience of being a corner — to win some battles, lose others, and learn from each one.
“What he is doing with his body, where he needs to be and he’s not making the mistakes he was earlier in the year just from an eye discipline to an alignment standpoint,” Gannon said, “he’s taking the coaching, and he’s running with it.”
Melton called his first year a “growing season.” He was targeted 44 times and allowed 26 catches for 359 yards — but gave up zero touchdowns.
Looking ahead, Melton said his offseason focus is on details. With a better grasp of his technique and role, he now wants to learn more about where his help is and how to handle more complex coverages.
“Just progressing from that,” he said. “Learning from your mistakes and just keep getting better as a player, so that’s where I’m at, where I’m at now.
“It’s only going to get better from here.”
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This report used information from ESPN.
