The 2026 NFL Draft felt different than recent ones. There were a lot of surprises, and the Chicago Bears were certainly part of that overwhelming takeaway.
Whether we're talking about reaches or values, we saw a plethora of both, and, again, the Bears were on both ends of that.
Quite possibly the best value for the Bears, in this year's class, came when they selected cornerback Malik Muhammad out of Texas with a fourth-round pick. Muhammad comes into a cornerback room that looks similar to last year, except without Nahshon Wright.
Chicago's cornerback room is going to be welcoming back a couple of youngsters, though, who missed all of last year. How will Muhammad's arrival impact them?
Zah Frazier and Terell Smith will quickly be overtaken by Malik Muhammad on the Chicago Bears' depth chart
Last year, Zah Frazier missed his entire rookie campaign due to an issue that the Bears classified as "personal," but the team is hoping to have him in Chicago for his sophomore season.
Meanwhile, Terell Smith tore his patellar tendon in the preseason and also missed all of 2025. Both players were recent draft picks by the Bears, and it was safe to say that the fan base was excited about their potentially challenging Tyrique Stevenson.
As we know, Wright was the one to ultimately do that. But just a few days ago, the two youngsters were back in the driver's seat to challenge Stevenson, who heads into a contract year.
Smith, a 2023 fifth-round pick, and Frazier, a 2025 fifth-round pick, might have been Day 3 guys, but there were several reasons to be excited about the two of them as immediate backups. Now, with Muhammad coming in, the two of them will quickly be pushed back on the depth chart.
Muhammad is a better player. That's all there is to it. He is far better and, many experts would agree, he very well could have been drafted on Day 2.
Instead, he fell to the fourth round, where Dennis Allen was more than happy to see him land in Chicago. Muhammad possesses great length and solid 4.42 speed, and, as we've already covered a bit, he is scrappy.
Muhammad's effort and physicality are two traits that, at times, keep him on his men like glue. He's pesky. He's almost annoying. And, for a more slender player, Muhammad bucks the trend. He can get pushed around at times, but he is going to continue being a thorn in the side of opposing receivers.
In short, Muhammad looks far more pro-ready than Frazier or Smith ever did coming out of college. And, with Allen's mentoring and coaching, Muhammad has every bit of a chance to turn into a starter. In fact, I'm going out on a limb and stating that he will be the starter opposite of Jaylon Johnson in 2027.
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As for Frazier and Smith, they'll be excellent depth to have. But, they'll be firmly behind Muhammad.
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