Malik Muhammad was drafted to the Chicago Bears as a cornerback, but he has the potential to play elsewhere on the field.
They moved up in the draft to select him in the fourth round, 124th overall, from Texas.
He can play cornerback, but after OTAs, he might be able to play nickel as well. At OTAs, Muhammad was seen taking snaps from both positions. The slot position could be open if Kyler Gordon doesn't stay healthy.
How viable is Malik Muhammad to start at cornerback?
Chicago had multiple rookies take starting spots last season if they proved to head coach Ben Johnson that they were worthy, so Muhammad has a real shot. Having a strong secondary will be crucial for Chicago this season. Last season, they led the league in takeaways and interceptions, something that Johnson will want to replicate.
There is an open spot at cornerback due to the offseason departures from the secondary. As long as Jaylon Johnson stays healthy, he'll most likely be the CB1, but CB2 remains undetermined.
Reports from OTAs indicated that the Bears coaching staff wasn't too impressed with what they were seeing out of the assumed CB2, Tyrique Stevenson. He still has big weaknesses in his fourth year in the league, lacking speed and the ability to read coverage well.
If Muhammad can really show out at training camp, then the spot could be his. He's known to be fast after running a 4.42-second 40-yard dash, the eighth-best among cornerbacks at the draft. His weakness is not being able to compete with bigger wideouts at times. But if he bulks up, then his ceiling is higher.
At worst, he will push Stevenson to be better at camp and be a backup, allowing him to take a step back in his rookie season to learn and then fight for a potential starting spot next season. At best, he'll be the CB2 in his rookie season, proving there is huge upside.
While there is a viable path for him to be a CB2, he can also be competing to play at nickel. The Bears already have a player there in Gordon, but he missed 14 games last season because of a recurring soft-tissue injury. It's still unclear whether he will be available for the season, but at OTAs, it was clear that Johnson is frustrated with him.
“We spoke last year and neither one of us were really happy with how it went just from a perspective of being available to get to know each other. I think he only played in three games when I look back at it," Johnson said. "We're still trying to get that availability piece going. We know he is a good player when he is out there, but trust level's a huge thing for this team, for this coaching staff, for the locker room. You can only develop that trust by being available.”
This led the Bears to start trying Muhammad inside because he is an available player whom they can develop trust in. If Muhammad proves that he's capable of both positions, he can either play nickelback while Gordon is out. Or become a real versatile threat for the team, playing both positions whenever needed.
Read more: Everything Bears fans must know about retooled offensive line in 2026
Ryan Poles trading up to get him in the draft proves they have big plans for Muhammad, but training camp will be the first sign of just how much he is truly capable of for this team.
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