When looking at some of the offseason needs for the Bucs, there are some obvious ones along the interior offensive line and at edge rusher. Depending on how further dominoes fall in the coming weeks, the cornerback position and the secondary in general could use some added reinforcements.

With safety Ryan Neal a free agent and all but gone and Carlton Davis III’s future up in the air after up-and-down play and durability concerns, the defensive backfield could see a shakeup. It is a group that lacks a consistent playmaker who isn’t Antoine Winfield Jr.

That’s where Rutgers cornerback Max Melton could come in.

He displayed his playmaking skills at Rutgers, recording eight interceptions in his collegiate career, including three last season. At the Senior Bowl this week, Melton did say that he has met with Tampa Bay twice, and there are a lot of dots that connect him to trading in the Scarlet Knights’ red and white for the Buccaneers’ red and pewter.

Rutgers CB Max Melton Has a Great Bond With Bucs DB Christian Izien

When talking with Pewter Report after the second day of Senior Bowl practice, Max Melton was asked about the relationship he has with current Bucs defensive back Christian Izien. Melton played with Izien at Rugers and was quick to gush about his former teammate who just completed his first NFL season. Melton praised Izien for being a natural leader and compared him in that regard to Michael Jordan. Yes, that Michael Jordan, who is arguably the best NBA player ever and one of the top athletes of all-time.

Rutgers CB Max Melton – Photo by: USA Today

Melton gave Izien a ringing endorsement, and before the Senior Bowl, Izien returned the favor. After playing together from 2020-2022 at Rutgers, he sees him as someone who can come in right away and bring value, much as he did with Tampa Bay this past season.

“He’s an NFL [caliber] defensive back,” Izien said. “I have seen him since he’s been a freshman. He’s uber-talented, he has all the ability in the world. I think he will be a really good player in this league.

“I think he is someone that can come in and play immediately. I just hope the best for him, I know he’s going to go out there and do what he has to do to make a name for himself. That’s what he is, he is a star so I can’t wait to watch.”

Making a name for himself is something Christian Izien is quite familiar with as he did so early in his own rookie season as the starting nickel cornerback. Max Melton has a chance to do the same thing, especially if he plays to his strengths and irons out the fixable kinks in his game.

Max Melton Discusses His Best Traits And Room For Improvement

Coming into the NFL, Max Melton has some pronounced strengths and weaknesses in his game. After watching some of his college play at Rutgers, a few things stood out which are accentuated in this highlight video. He possesses a lot of physicality at the cornerback position and pairs that with a high motor.

He is not one to take plays off and has a knack for pursuing ball carriers and faring well in both man and zone coverage. Melton loves to get after it at the line of scrimmage as he is pesty and can keep pace with opposing wide receivers due to his speed.

When asked about his best traits, he was quick to point out that is a mixture:

What is also paramount for a defensive back – especially one playing in Todd Bowles’ defense – is someone who can properly communicate and pairs that with a high football IQ. Melton pointed to how that correlates to the overall results for the defense.

Rutgers CB Max Melton – Photo by: USA Today

“As a back end, it doesn’t matter how good the athletes are,” Melton said. “You could have four or five Deion Sanders back there; if you’re all on different pages you’re going to get bombed for a touchdown. Especially at the next level in the league, it’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

“You have to communicate so I feel like even at Rutgers with [head coach Greg] Schiano, we had no choice. You can communicate, but if you are not communicating enough, it’s over. Communication is definitely a part of the game that you have to be on the same page – corner, safety, nickel – you got to be on the same page.”

What can help Melton stay on the same page is understanding that he has room for improvement. While he likes to be up and close and personal with the wide receivers lined up across from him, he also admitted that he can do that to a fault.

“In press-man, I like to get my hands on a little too much sometimes,” Melton added. “I’ll lunge at some receivers and you definitely can’t do that at the next level so I’m working on that out here.”

Max Melton Has Learned From A Former Bucs HC, Discusses Potential Fit In Tampa Bay

Max Melton did not always grow up playing cornerback. He spent a lot of time playing wide receiver growing up alongside his brother Bo, who latched on with the Packers and came on late in the season catching passes from Jordan Love. What helped the younger Melton learn the intricacies of becoming a successful defensive back was the tutelage of Greg Schiano, the one-time Bucs head coach from 2012-2023 and the current head coach at Rutgers.

Rutgers HC Greg Schiano and CB Max Melton – Photo by: USA Today

“Man, what didn’t he teach me?” Melton said of Schiano. “He had guys like Denzel Ward and Marshon Lattimore who he coached when he was at Ohio State. There is so much I could tell you about just the technique at corner.

“He’ll tell you how to play off, he’ll tell you how to play press-man. But he doesn’t just tell you how to do it, he tells you why. The why is big, because if you don’t know the why, you think you’re just doing something and it might not work. Knowing the why definitely pays off.”

What could also pay off is if Tampa Bay decides to take Melton in the 2024 NFL Draft. Currently, he is slated to be picked as a late Day 2 or early Day 3 prospect. With all of the connections he has to the Bucs both past and present, he would already be well acclimated.

“Those are guys, I don’t know those guys personally, but it definitely seems like I’d be a good fit for the Bucs,” Melton added about fitting in with Carlton Davis III and Jamel Dean. “And even with Todd Bowles, I had his son on the team, Todd Bowles Jr. at Rutgers. It just seems like we got all the connections and all that, so I can definitely see myself fitting in with those guys.”