The Chicago Bears selected Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad with the 124th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Bears add even more speed to Dennis Allen’s defense with Muhammad after drafting safety Dillon Thieneman in the first round. Muhammad has 4.42 speed, and he’s a competitive and physical addition to the secondary. While Jaylon Johnson has a starting spot locked down on the outside, Muhammad has the opportunity to compete for the starting spot opposite him with Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith.
Here’s a quick rundown on Muhammad:
The Basics
Height: 6-foot-0
Weight: 182 pounds
Age: 21
From: DeSoto, TX
Breakdown
Muhammad has good coverage talent to offset his slender frame. He can man up from press or off and is a plus pattern-matcher, staying in-phase and shadowing break points. He displays outstanding vision and adheres to his zone-cover principles, allowing him to play with ideal efficiency on all three levels. He can get outmuscled by big, strong wideouts inside the route and at the catch-point, but he doesn’t give in and usually holds his own. He does a nice job of chopping pass-catchers down in space but a lack of play strength shows up in occasional broken tackles. Muhammad has Day 2 talent and starter-level ability. — Lance Zierlein
Dane Brugler’s Scouting Report
A starter for two-and-a-half years at Texas, Muhammad was an outside cornerback in former defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski’s zone-leaning scheme. Coming from a family of defensive backs, he took his talents to Austin, where he saw immediate action as a true freshman. He gave up his share of completions in 2025, but he also limited big plays (allowed only two catches of 12-plus yards) and earned All-SEC honors.
Muhammad is a tall, skinny athlete with quality coverage-match talent. He doesn’t consistently play up to his timed speed, but he does show lateral agility and strain to stay attached to routes. He has athletic ball skills (looked outstanding during the gauntlet drill at the NFL combine), although I wish he took more chances to create turnovers. He is tough versus the run, although not always consistent.
They Said It
“The speed and you factor in a little bit of length with that. From a coverage standpoint, obviously that translates to athleticism. So for him, the ability to play man, and stick at top of routes is one of his strengths. And then continuing with instincts and zone coverage too is also a strength of his player. He’s definitely a combo guy that can do a couple different things for us on defense.” — National Scout John Syty
RAS card
Grade: B+
Muhammad’s stats don’t jump off the page, but it’s simply because that he was shutting down wide receivers and not allowing many opportunities against him. With Jaylon Johnson on the other side, and a revamped safety position, the Bears secondary has a good mixture of both highly talented coverage corners and ballhawk safeties, a mix that should help them limit the amount of big plays made by opponents this upcoming season. With limited options on the board on the defensive line, Chicago landed a player who definitely helps the secondary, an area of need this offseason. — Mike Pendleton
Highlights
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Breakdown and analysis of new Bears rookie Malik Muhammad
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
