Bears CB Malik Muhammad, the Draft Day 3 Steal Ryan Poles Had to Have, Earns High Grade

The Bears finally moved back to the defensive side of the ball in the fourth round. After drafting Oregon's Dillon Thieneman in the first round, they added another player to their secondary via the selection of University of Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad with the 124th pick.

The Bears were initially picking at 129 before swapping selections with Carolina and moving down 22 spots in the fifth round (from 144 to 166). They might have felt urgency to move ahead of Buffalo at pick 125, as they have a glaring need at the cornerback position, and Muhammad was by far the cleanest cover man left on the board.

This was a great pick for Chicago, as Muhammad was one of the best remaining players on the board entering today. Some thought that he could hear his name called as early as the second round.

Malik Muhammad celebrating an interception — Oct 11, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive back Malik Muhammad (5) celebrates after he intercepts a pass thrown by Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (not pictured) during the first half at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The 21-year-old is light at only 182 lbs., but he plays above his weight class. He's surprisingly sticky in press coverage for his size and is scheme versatile.

He also performed well at the NFL Scouting Combine, where he ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash and more than held his own in the jumping drills. He jumped 10'10" in the broad, and 39" in the vertical. Those numbers reflected what is evident on tape: Muhammad is an explosive athlete.

Muhammad could put Stevenson on the hot seat

Malik Muhammad breaks up a pass against Vanderbilt — Nov 1, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive back Malik Muhammad (5) breaks up a pass intended for Vanderbilt Commodores tight end Eli Stowers (9) during the second half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The cornerback position was an underrated weakness for Chicago entering the draft. Tyrique Stevenson is entering a contract year, and they opted not to retain Nahshon Wright (who signed with the Jets for relatively cheap) in the offseason. It would be understandable if they also had concerns with Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon's ability to stay healthy.

Stevenson will probably get the first crack at the starting job, but his leash just got a lot shorter. If he fails to improve upon last season's performance (that saw him effectively get benched for Wright), then he could be looking at an uneventful final season in Chicago.

While I would've liked to see them add to their defensive line through the first four rounds, that shouldn't take away from the need to also improve their cornerback depth. There were no better options on the board for Chicago after trading up, and I'm thrilled they landed on Muhammad.

Grade: A

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