2026 NFL Prospect Profile: Texas CB Malik Muhammad

For his position, many draft analysts put Longhorn’s cornerback Malik Muhammad on the top of the 2026 draft class. Muhammad came to Austin and played right away as a freshman before taking over as a starter last year. His sophomore campaign was impressive, watching him log 36 tackles and 8 passes defended, and as the season progressed, opposing offenses started to go away from him, or else his stats may have been even more eye-opening. 

Heading into his junior year, Muhammad has a chance to separate himself from his competition. For a young corner, he’s already played in 30 games at Texas, making 18 starts. And with the talent available to the Longhorns, that says something about his ability to dominate on the field. 

Strengths

Muhammad is 6’0” and 190lbs, making him big enough to cover X-receivers. But he’s a twitchy 6-foot, allowing him to play against the slot receivers, too. He’s quick out of his breaks and plays with smooth hips, losing zero speed when he cuts and reacts well to first and second moves. He gets his head around on deep passes and can play man coverage and zone coverage equally well.

For a man of his size, he will allow some lucky defensive coordinator to use him inside or out, and his high football IQ shows well, as he rarely misses an assignment. He’s a leader and can be counted on to be in position.

Lastly, Muhammad will also be deployed on special teams at the next level. He’s a proven returner, and teams looking to bolster that part of their game will find Muhammad a willing volunteer who can take one to the house with every special teams touch. 

Weaknesses 

For all the good scouts see in Muhammad, there are some places for improvement. First, his tackling will need some work, and the right coordinator and position coach will address that on day one. Secondly, for his size and speed, he still finds himself out of position on covering deep passes. Again, this is a technique adjustment, something that can be taught—and taught quickly—to a player with such a high football IQ. 

Lastly, scouts will want to see Muhammad play more aggressively this year. He is often a bit too far off of his man, and that kind of gap in the pros will cost him dearly. He can blanket-cover, but needs to do it so that the evaluators will see that during the 2025 NCAA campaign. 

Conclusion

Malik Muhammad brings experience, versatility, positional flexibility, and a high football IQ to any team that chooses him. He has this year to truly pull away from the rest of the cornerback class, and with Texas’s high preseason ranking will surely be featured in many prime-time games. He will be a surefire first-rounder and has a good chance to be the first corner off the board next April in Pittsburgh.