BIOGRAPHY
Rashaan Melvin was born on October 2, 1989, in Waukegan, Illinois. He is a cornerback for the Detroit Lions in the NFL.
He attended Waukegan High School. After graduating high school, he went to Northern Illinois University. Melvin started 27-of-41 games played at Northern Illinois, totaling 172 tackles (117 solo), six interceptions, 3.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and 35 passes defensed. His 35 passes defensed ranked second in school history. He saw action in two games as a walk-on freshman in 2009 and was later awarded a scholarship during the spring of 2010. He saw action in all 14 games (two starts) as a sophomore in 2010, compiling 39 tackles (24 solo), 1.0 tackle for loss, four passes defensed and two interceptions. He started all 13 games as a junior in 2011, recording 78 tackles (54 solo), 1.0 tackle for loss, nine passes defensed and three interceptions. He started all 12 games as a senior, recording 55 tackles (39 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, 17 passes defensed, one interception and one forced fumble. He led the Mid American Conference and set the single-season school record with 17 passes defensed.
On April 29, 2013, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Melvin to a two-year $900,000 contract that includes a signing bonus of $10,000 as an undrafted free agent after he went undrafted during the 2013 NFL Draft. Melvin made the active 53-man roster after an impressive training camp and preseason. Head coach Greg Schiano named Melvin the fourth cornerback on the depth chart to start the regular season, behind Darrelle Revis, Leonard Johnson, and Johnthan Banks. On September 15, 2014, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released Melvin. On October 28, 2014, the Miami Dolphins signed him to their practice squad. On November 8, 2014, the Baltimore Ravens signed Melvin from the Miami Dolphins' practice squad and added him to their active roster. On December 14, 2014, Melvin made his professional regular season debut and recovered five combined tackles and deflected a pass during a 20-12 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15. The Baltimore Ravens finished the 2014 season third in the AFC North with a 10-6 record and earned a wildcard berth. On January 3, 2015, Melvin appeared in his first career playoff game and recorded seven combined tackles in the Ravens' 30–17 victory at the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wildcard Game.
On October 14, 2015, the New England Patriots claimed Melvin. The Baltimore Ravens finished the 2014 season third in the AFC North with a 10-6 record and earned a wildcard berth. On January 3, 2015, Melvin appeared in his first career playoff game and recorded seven combined tackles in the Ravens' 30–17 victory at the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wildcard Game. In 2016, the New England Patriots released Melvin after drafting cornerback Cyrus Jones. On July 30, 2016, the Miami Dolphins signed to a one year contract, but then was later released as part of their final roster cuts. On September 7, 2016, the Indianapolis Colts signed Melvin to a two-year $ 1.45 million contract. On December 13, 2016, defensive coordinator Ted Monachino officially named Melvin a starting cornerback for the remainder of the season after Patrick Robinson sustained a groin injury and was placed on injured reserve.
Melvin finished the 2016 season with 60 combined tackles (42 solo), seven pass deflections, and two forced fumbles in 15 games and nine starts. Melvin received an overall grade of 74.2 from Pro Football Focus in 2016. In 2017, head coach Chuck Pagano named Melvin a starting cornerback to start the regular season. On September 24, 2017, Melvin recorded two combined tackles, a season-high four pass deflections, and made his first two interceptions of his career during a 31–28 win against The Cleveland Browns. Melvin made his first career interception off a pass by Browns' quarterback DeShone Kizer, that was originally intended for wide receiver Kasen Williams, and returned it for a seven-yard gain in the third quarter. On March 16, 2018, The Oakland Raiders signed Melvin to a one-year, $5.50 million contract with $4.85 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $3 million.
On March 22, 2019, Melvin signed a one-year $3.5 million contract with the Detroit Lions.
