


Malachi "Max" Melton (born April 15, 2002) is an American professional football cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and was selected by the Cardinals in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Early life
Melton grew up in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township, Atlantic County, New Jersey and attended Cedar Creek High School. Melton initially committed to play college football at Purdue over offers from Rutgers and Temple. He flipped his commitment to Rutgers during his senior year.
College career
Melton played in nine games with six starts during his freshman season with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and made 21 tackles. He started ten games at cornerback as a sophomore and had 28 tackles with three interceptions and six passes broken up. Melton missed three games due to a suspension. He was named honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference after recording 33 tackles with two tackles for loss, two interceptions, and ten passes broken up.
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Milestones
Former Youth Teams ![]()






| Pass Defended | NFL | 2024 | 5 |
| Turnover Forced Fumbles | NFL | 2024 | 1 |
| Tackle For a loss | NFL | 2024 | 2 |
| Tackle Assists | NFL | 2024 | 15 |
| Total Tackles | NFL | 2024 | 36 |