Max

Melton

The Cardinals reportedly plan to “ease” Harrison back into action today. Teams often cast aside snap-count plans if their recently injured star player is feeling good early in their return, but Harrison has not yet established himself as a player who regularly exceeds expectations. The prudent move is to treat WR Michael Wilson as a fantasy football WR2 and view Harrison as a WR4/FLEX. Cardinals WR Xavier Weaver (hamstring) is also active. The Cardinals declared CB Max Melton (heel), CB Elijah Jones, CB Darren Hall (concussion), S Jalen Thompson (hamstring), OL Evan Brown (personal) and LT Paris Johnson Jr. (knee) inactive for Week 16 against the Falcons.

Neither will (inhale): CB Max Melton (concussion), LB BJ Ojulari (knee), or LB Mack Wilson (ribs) — the good news is that Budda Baker (hamstring) upgraded to full today and has been removed from the injury report. Arizona’s defense looked good against the Cowboys on Monday night, but their cornerback depth will be tested against Jaxson Smith-Njigba and Rashid Shaheed.

It’s a brutal blow to a Cardinals defense that will also be without starting cornerback Max Melton (concussion). The Cardinals will need to make due with backups Kei’Trel Clark and Elijah Jones against a Seahawks offense that is fresh off a dominant performance against the Commanders in which Sam Darnold threw for 330-4-1 while completing 70.4 percent of his passes. In addition to Johnson and Melton being out, the Cardinals will also keep LB BJ Ojulari (knee) sidelined for at least one more week after he was limited in every practice.

Melton suffered a hit to the head in the Cardinals’ Week 9 Monday victory over the Cowboys. He is listed as a non-participant on Wednesday with a concussion. It will be difficult for Melton to pass concussion protocol on a short week heading into a Week 10 matchup against the Seahawks. LB Mack Wilson Sr. (ribs) also was listed with a DNP designation. Both players will need practice time later this week to play.

Melton will miss Week 5 with a hamstring injury, though Will Johnson (groin) will return to the secondary. Darius Robinson (pectoral) and Evan Brown (hamstring) are also out due to injury. DT Bilal Nichols (neck) and OL Will Hernandez (ACL) are both active for the first time this season.

Williams suffered the knee injury in Week 2 against the Panthers and will be sidelined for the near future. Head coach Jonathan Gannon said Williams will be placed on injured reserve with a chance to return. Meanwhile, CB Max Melton (knee) was a limited practice participant. Losing Williams and potentially Will Johnson (groin) for Week 3 is a tough blow to the secondary, but Melton at least has a shot to play against an equally banged-up 49ers receiving group.

The second-round rookie could provide mild depth for the Cardinals’ lackluster cornerback corps, if active. WR Xavier Weaver (oblique) is also listed as questionable.

Melton (5’110/187) is a three-time, fourth-team All-Big Ten DB that started 40-of-43 career games with the Scarlet Knights. Melton’s 4.39s 40-yard dash speed allows him to give a large cushion pre-snap in order to bait the quarterback, who sometimes underestimates his cheetah-like closing speed. A certified box checker, he can play both man and zone coverage extremely well when called upon, recording a QBR of 65.7 while allowing 24 completions on 44 targets this year. His elite ball skills are evident in the 16 pass break ups and five interceptions he draped on Big Ten opponents over the past two seasons. The four-year starter has impeccable timing that keeps him in phase even if he pursues a bad angle, as is shown in his superb 9.57 Relative Athletic Score. Melton could improve on his route recognition/backpedal, as he is occasionally susceptible to double moves. An elite special teams player who blocked multiple punts throughout his collegiate career, as well as fielding a few returns. Melton is a top-flight Big Ten corner who has the talent to fill a rotational slot/boundary role in the NFL.

Same goes for fellow freshman CB Chris Long. Stemming from an incident Monday night, each has been charged with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose. Melton, a starter and the younger brother of Rutgers WR Bo Melton, has a blocked punt, a fumble recovery, and two interceptions this season, including an interception return for a touchdown on Sept. 4 against Temple. Long is a reserve.