Malik Muhammad came off the board at pick No. 124, deep into the fourth round, and picks that late rarely get penciled in for meaningful rookie snaps. The University of Texas cornerback looks like an exception. He has a real path to the starting job opposite Jaylon Johnson, and it could open up sooner than his draft slot suggests.
Muhammad isn’t a typical Day 3 flier
Muhammad was among the best players still available when Day 3 opened, and some evaluators had him graded as high as the second round. At 21 and a lighter 182 pounds, he plays bigger than the frame suggests, holding up on the perimeter and handling both man and zone at Texas. He was one of college football’s top corners over the last two seasons while regularly working on an island as the Longhorns’ top cover man.
His best tape came in the biggest spots. Across two meetings with Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, widely regarded as the best receiver in the country, Muhammad helped hold him to seven catches for 46 yards.
The door opens if Stevenson slips
Tyrique Stevenson is a divisive figure in Chicago. The ability is real and he can make plays in bursts, but the consistency hasn’t followed. He holds the inside track opposite Jaylon Johnson, though he lost his starting job to Nahshon Wright a year ago. With Wright gone in free agency, Stevenson would be pushed by Terell Smith and Muhammad if he stumbles again.
Stevenson and Terell Smith are both in the final year of their rookie contracts, and neither has done enough to earn an extension. If Muhammad proves he can start, Chicago wouldn’t need to go chasing another corner next offseason.
