The Chicago Bears‘ defense still have substantial work needing to be done, having allowed the fourth most yards in the league in 2025, ranking 29th in total defense – behind only the Cowboys, Bengals and Commanders.

The Bears revamped their safety room with the addition of first round draft pick Dillon Thieneman and free agent addition Coby Bryant from the Seattle Seahawks, but they did not bring in any clear replacement on the perimeter for Nahshon Wright, who spent much of the year anchoring down one boundary corner spot as All-Pro Jaylon Johnson missed substantial time with a core-muscle tear.

That will likely mean ex-second round draft pick Tyrique Stevenson, who has struggled over the past couple of years to assert himself as a bona fide starting exterior corner in the league, will be favored to reclaim the CB2 role heading into the season opener in September.

However, ESPN’s Ben Solak speculates that one dark horse name that could end up taking Stevenson’s spot is rookie fourth rounder Malik Muhammad.

Tyrique Stevenson Could be Usurped By Rookie CB

“Finding a depth cornerback to replace the outgoing Nahshon Wright was critical, as Stevenson’s volatile play alongside Jaylon Johnson’s injury history all but guarantees the No. 3 corner will see time in Chicago.” Solak wrote.

“Stevenson in particular struggled last season, his first under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen; Stevenson’s 9.8 yards per target allowed ranked third worst among all cornerbacks (minimum 50 targets).”

Whilst perhaps counter-intuitively Solak asserts that Chicago would rather have Stevenson win the job outright in training camp, he thinks it is quite possible that Muhammad ends up forcing the team’s hand if he shows up in the offseason.

“The Bears would much prefer Stevenson to play (and excel) over Muhammad. That would mean Stevenson could walk in free agency, sign a huge deal elsewhere and give Chicago a nice compensatory pick in return. But if Muhammad shines in camp, the Bears might struggle to keep him off the field while Stevenson gets targeted opposite Johnson.”

Can Malik Muhammad Win a Starting Corner Role?

Muhammad was considered too be a little thin for the position by some evaluators around the league at 6’0, 182 lbs, and given the length of his fall it could also well be that there were other questions surrounding the Texas product that had decision-makers avoid him in Rounds 2 and 3 of the draft.

Over the course of his three years in college, Muhammad started 29 games and appeared in 41, and last season allowed just a 37.4 passer rating against him, garnering a PFF rating of at least 70 in every year he played at Texas.

Fourth round rookies generally don’t come in immediately and lock down a corner spot, and if they do it is normally in the slot, whereas Muhammad will likely compete for time on the perimeter.

But Muhammad is perhaps one of the more pro-ready fourth round cornerbacks drafted in recent years, and it certainly could be possible to see the 21-year old end up a starter early on in the 2026 season.