Jonathan Gannon speaks as Cardinals wrap up 2025 minicamp
Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon talks about minicamp at the Cardinals training center in Tempe, on Jun 12, 2025.
Cardinals cornerback Max Melton aims to create more turnovers in his second season.Melton drew confidence from his sophomore year at Rutgers, where his production significantly increased.The Cardinals’ defensive line additions should create more opportunities for the secondary.
Max Melton, the Cardinals’ ascendant young cornerback, sums up his ambitions for his second season in just two words: “The ball.”
As a rookie in 2024, Melton showed flashes of the talent — and the mentality — that the Cardinals drafted with the 43rd overall pick. His welcome-to-the-NFL moment came in Week 7, when he allowed 145 yards on nine catches against the Chargers, per Pro Football Focus. He responded the following Sunday by helping limit Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle to under 75 yards apiece. A week later, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams completed just two of nine pass attempts thrown Melton’s way.
By the end of the year, Melton had become a trusted part of a three-man rotation at outside cornerback. Over the final nine weeks, he never allowed more than 30 yards in a game.
“There’s a lot to that position because it’s a high-stress position in terms of winning one-on-ones, but then there’s also a lot of thinking,” defensive coordinator Nick Rallis said in late December. “Really, to me, both of those things have elevated throughout the season (for Melton).”
But like most rookies, Melton never morphed into a true game-changing player. He didn’t have any interceptions and finished with just two pass breakups.
Now, entering year two, he sees the parallels to his second season at Rutgers. As a freshman, he prevented big plays but finished with no turnovers and one PBU. The next year, he transformed into a ball-hawk, with three interceptions and six PBUs.
That, Melton said, is the type of production that comes with comfort in a defensive system.
“I’ve got the playbook fully under my belt,” Melton said. “Last year, I had a pretty good understanding of it, but now it’s like the 200, 300, 400 level of it. Knowing where your help is at, knowing where you’re at on the field. Just the little things, but it shows up in the play cause you won’t miss a play by an inch just cause you weren’t where you were supposed to be at the start of the play.”
With that understanding comes an ability to take the types of risks that lead to turnovers.
“Since I feel more comfortable in the defense now, it’s like, okay, now I can bait the quarterback,” Melton said. “Now I can do all these things I can to get the ball. Force fumbles as well. Not even just talking interceptions. But what’s on my mind this year is the ball.”
If the Cardinals’ defense morphs into a top-tier unit, creating turnovers will almost certainly be a part of their evolution. Last year, they overperformed expectations but still managed just 17 takeaways. Only six defenses had fewer.
This offseason, they brought in the type of players who can change that.
Since the beginning of March, as many as six new starters have walked through the doors of their Tempe facility. They either carry proven NFL resumes, like Calais Campbell and Josh Sweat, or tantalizing talent profiles, like Walter Nolen and Will Johnson.
Of that group, the most impactful additions — both by draft capital and free agent dollars — have been along the defensive line. Those are the players who can disrupt an offense’s timing, creating more opportunities for the secondary to come up with interceptions and fumbles.
“It feels like we’re forming the Avengers, to be honest,” Melton said. “I look at our D-line now and I’m just like, wow. It’s gonna make my job easier.”
If he capitalizes on those opportunities, Melton can help the Cardinals solve one more piece of their defensive puzzle. Veteran cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting is out for the season, which leaves the Cardinals with three exciting, young cornerbacks to compete for two starting spots on the outside.
There’s Johnson, the projected top-10 pick who fell into the second round due to injury concerns. There’s Starling Thomas V, the former undrafted free agent who became an important player last season. And, of course, there’s Melton.
The emergence of that group could — for the first time in a decade — give the Cardinals a complete defense.
Melton brothers to host youth football camp
On June 28, Melton will host a youth football camp with his brother, Packers receiver Bo Melton.
The three-hour camp will be held at SHI Stadium, home of Rutgers, where both Max and Bo played their college ball. Their father, Gary, also played football for the Scarlet Knights, while their mother, Vicky, was a standout on the women’s basketball team. The boys were raised in Mays Landing, N.J., just two hours south of campus.
For both Max and Bo, this weekend’s camp is the realization of a long-held vision to give back to the next generation in their home state. They thought about starting their camp last year, but ultimately decided to wait until after Max’s rookie season to enhance, in his words, his “credibility.”
“It’s gonna be a fun camp, no doubt about it,” Max Melton said. “But I also want to aim to actually give the kids something to leave with mentally, so they can take it to the next level. Definitely fun, but we’re looking to give out some golden nuggets.”
The camp is expected to host approximately 250 youth football players.
It’s the latest in a string of similar events held by Cardinals players across the country in recent weeks. Right tackle Jonah Williams and cornerbacks Garrett Williams and Starling Thomas V are among the players who have hosted youth football camps. Quarterback Kyler Murray and linebacker Mack Wilson Sr., meanwhile, have held celebrity sporting events to raise money for charity.