The Chicago Bears have made another draft trade, this time moving up in the fourth round to select a new cornerback who could potentially replace starter Tyrique Stevenson amid doubts about his long-term future with the team.
During April 25’s fourth round of the draft, the Bears traded with the Carolina Panthers to move up five spots to No. 124 overall and select Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad, an outside cornerback with good coverage skills who could push for snaps immediately.
Muhammad (6-foot-1, 190 pounds) adds a quality coverage talent who makes his living with speed, quickness and above-average instincts, which make him difficult to shake and allow him to swiftly trigger as a run defender. He could stand to add more mass and work on his physicality at the NFL level, but Bears coach Al Harris can mold him.
According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, the Bears swapped fourth- and fifth-round picks with the Panthers, moving up five spots in the fourth round to No. 124 and moving back 22 spots in the fifth round to No. 166. The fifth-rounder that the Bears sent to Carolina was the pick they acquired in Round 2 when they slid back from 60th to 69th overall.
The Bears will pick again at No. 166 overall in the fifth round and hold two more picks (Nos. 239 and 241) in the seventh round before the conclusion of the 2026 NFL draft.
NFL Analysts Project Malik Muhammad as Starter-Quality
Muhammad is a cornerback whom several analysts thought could come off the board on the second day of the draft on account of his speed, agility and sticky coverage abilities.
In 2025, Muhammad made 11 starts for the Longhorns and tallied two interceptions, six pass deflections and 30 total tackles (2.5 for a loss, one sack), earning him second-team All-SEC recognition. He allowed his fair share of receptions (21), but he held opposing quarterbacks to a 57.8 passer rating when targeting him in coverage, according to PFF.
Muhammad also avoided giving up explosive plays in most cases, allowing none in his matchup with an Ohio State offense that touted Carnell Tate (who went No. 4 overall to the Tennessee Titans this year) and projected 2027 first-round pick Jeremiah Smith.
“Muhammad can be out-physicaled at times, but he plays with good reaction quickness and route instincts, which help him stay attached in man or zone,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote about him. “He projects as a starter, with shades of Greg Newsome II.”
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