Big Blue View
Given a choice, which cornerback should the Giants draft
Joe Schoen and the New York Giants continue to tweak their roster in the front office’s third season at the helm. Schoen and company made a big splash at the start of the new league year with the acquisition of Brian Burns, and they signed several other pieces that give the team flexibility heading into the 2024 NFL Draft.
Still, one position group is bereft of proven talent, and that is cornerback. Schoen has spent two somewhat premium picks in Deonte Banks (24th, 2023) and Cor’Dale Flott (81st, 2022) over the last two drafts and now must seriously consider adding more assets to Jerome Henderson’s cornerback unit. That’s not to mention the possible need for a safety, which we’ll reserve for a later article.
Schoen has done an adequate job of finding quality cornerback play in unlikely spots through his short tenure as general manager. He signed Fabian Moreau at the start of the 2022 season, and he played a key role for the Giants that season. Schoen also signed Nick McCloud that year, who has been sufficient as a defensive player.
Currently, the Giants have Banks, Flott, McCloud, Tre Hawkins III, Darnay Holmes, and Aaron Robinson in their cornerback room, along with Kaleb Hayes and Stanley Thomas-Oliver. Unless the Giants trade down in the draft, they will likely not select a cornerback until Pick 47 or maybe Pick 70. Rutgers’ Max Melton and Oregon’s Khyree Jackson could be options.
Max’s real name is Malachi, and he’s a former three-star recruit from Cedar Creek High School in Egg Harbor City, N.J. 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 with the Green Bay Packers. Bo Melton 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. Here is Melton’s mockdraftable chart from his 2024 NFL Scouting Combine testing:
Melton recorded respectable ball production in college. In his 2,040 career defensive snaps, he defended 22 passes and eight interceptions, was sacked, had 8.5 tackles for a loss, and made 111 total tackles. Through his career, Melton only allowed a 57.2% catch rate, which was down to 54.5% in 2023. He did commit five of his nine career penalties last season.
Strengths
