With the No. 124 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears selected Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad.
After a surprising offensive-heavy approach on Day 2 in the draft, the Bears circled back towards the defensive side of the ball with their fourth-round pick in Muhammad. A top-100 player on my board, the Longhorns star is a battle-tested cornerback who declared for the NFL Draft a year early.
Incumbent starting cornerback Tyrique Stevenson is in the final year of his rookie contract, and he’s been pretty up and down over the course of his NFL career. Bringing in a player like Muhammad could not only put the writing on the wall on Stevenson’s time in Chicago, but he could push the latter for playing time in 2025.
As I’ve done since 2019, I put together a thread involving my analysis of each Bears draft selection, sharing some clips that highlight their strengths along the way. This year is certainly no different, so here’s my quick-hit evaluation of the Bears selecting Muhammad in Round 4.
2025 PFSN CB Impact Score: 83.3 (12th for FBS wide receivers)
THREAD: New #Bears CB Malik Muhammad has the tools to become a future starter, and they somehow got him in Round 4.
Malik Muhammad is one of the scrappiest cornerbacks you’ll find in this draft.He has the athleticism to stay with receivers stride for stride, and he’s competitive at the catch point to break up passes. #Bears pic.twitter.com/Ro8NlYo8LD
Malik Muhammad is an intelligent corner in coverage who processes route concepts well and has the speed to break on routes.Patient in his backpedal and aggressive shooting downhill. He allowed a passer rating of just 57.8 in 2025. #Bears pic.twitter.com/TH11NbMeBr
Malik Muhammad has solid size, but it’s his length that’s really impressive. 32 3/8-inch arm length and nearly 10-inch hands.Muhammad showcases good hand activity through a receiver’s stems close to the LOS and has a high motor as a tackler. #Bears pic.twitter.com/O7yhM5aoqJ
Here’s Malik Muhammad’s RAS card. Really good athlete with elite length.The #Bears are all the way back. Tyrique Stevenson is on an expiring deal and hasn’t put it all together yet. I could see Muhammad replacing him in the starting lineup. pic.twitter.com/gDtSP5UisY