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Evaluating Chicago Bears draft picks from first two days
The 2026 NFL Draft wraps up on Saturday. The Chicago Bears have made four selections, so we asked CHGO Sports Podcast host Mark Carman to give his takes on what the team has done so far.
Stop us if you've heard this before: Speed kills.
The Chicago Bears are reminding us of that with nearly every selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Their latest pick adds more speed to the defensive side of the ball.
What we know:
The Bears selected Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad with the 124th overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Muhammad was a third-year defensive back in Austin who started in 29 of the 41 games he played in.
Statistically, Muhammad only had three interceptions in his Texas career. He had one as a freshman in 2023 and two in 2025, both of which came in the same game against rival Oklahoma.
However, Muhammad's best on-field trait is his dependability. Draft analysts note that Muhammad
As a prospect, he uses his athleticism to generate his coverage skills. He's speedy, running a 4.42 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, jumping a 39-inch vertical leap and recording a 10'10" broad jump.
Bears national scout John Syty said that Muhammad's speed and length translates with his athleticism into play making. While the interceptions weren't there in college, he broke up 16 passes at Texas.
His wiry frame lends itself to Bears' defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's press-man scheme.
Big picture view:
The Bears wanted more speed and have now drafted prospects who recorded 40-yard dash times of 4.35 and 4.42 at the NFL Combine.
But, Muhammad's selection is another selection for the Bears where the front office considered the tape and the person.
Syty referenced a story he was told when scouting Muhammad.
When Malik got to Texas, Longhorns safety Michael Taaffe taught him the defense. As they're sitting there, Muhammad looked at the depth chart on the board next to them and saw Taaffe's number sitting second on the safety depth chart.
Taaffe explained that he's young and behind a veteran. He's a special teams player.
"Malik looks and said, 'Well, I guess you really don't want to play in the NFL then, do you?'" Syty said. "He said, 'why don't you erase that, put your number up there?'
Syty said the Bears' staff was enamored with the end goal. Muhammad wanted to be an NFL player. Like Logan Jones and Sam Roush the day prior, Muhammad has a passion for football and has the desire to be an NFL player.
"This kid's hardwired playing in the NFL. His goal was to get to college, do 3 years, get out, and get to our level," Syty said. "As a result, I mean, he's you get rewarded for the fruits of his labor."
Muhammad brings speed and length to a defense that prides itself on those two physical traits. He also wants the Bears to know he isn't just an outside cornerback.
"I can play nickel, also,"Muhammad said. "I feel like they’re getting a well-rounded corner."
The Bears loved his tape against Ohio State and Oklahoma. He showed up in the big games, has the speed Allen wants and has a passion for football.
There are recurring themes all over in the picks the Bears have made so far.
What they're saying:
"Muhammad has good coverage talent to offset his slender frame. He can man up from press or off and is a plus pattern-matcher, staying in-phase and shadowing break points. He displays outstanding vision and adheres to his zone-cover principles, allowing him to play with ideal efficiency on all three levels. He can get outmuscled by big, strong wideouts inside the route and at the catch-point, but he doesn’t give in and usually holds his own. He does a nice job of chopping pass-catchers down in space but a lack of play strength shows up in occasional broken tackles. Muhammad has Day 2 talent and starter-level ability." Lance Zierlein, NFL.com Draft Analyst.