Packers Draft Primer - Malik Muhammad - CB - Texas

What is up, Packers? And welcome back to The Daily Draft. We're brought to you today by the Green Bay Draft Guide, powered by Packer Report. Use promo code DRAFT for 10% off that bad boy. The link should be in the description below. Today we are talking about Malik Muhammad, a cornerback out of Texas. Popular Packers pick. And interesting in that, we'll talk about it, he did show up heavier at his pro day. The 190 Marcus is something that has been important to the Packers. They like more dense cornerbacks that can tackle and hold up in the run. And so these 180 pound guys, and I believe at the combine, he was 6 foot 182. So that's even 182 on a taller corner, but up either to 190 or 192 at his pro day. Now that throws into, you know, question, okay, well, what do you run, weighing eight more pounds, right? Slim down so we'd run fast and run the drills fast. It's all a part of the calculus. Strengths or pros, I guess, is how we do it. I'm reading off my notes from the Draft Guide, powered by Packer Report right here because I do corners for the guide. Snappy man coverage quarterback with explosive athletic traits. He's got speed to burn, but try and pull up his RAS here. Really good footwork in the early part of the rep does a great job staying square. If that's press coverage, even if he's not jamming, you know, if it's not, if it's close in line minute, it doesn't necessarily have to be with a jam. He's been really, really good in man with a smooth back pedal is transition out of his efficient explosive click to close is good as recovery speed and speed enough to defend crossing routes and man responsibilities. Walt Muhammad excels as a man player who plays well enough in zone and specifically does an excellent job passing out for outs, which is true. And understanding the route concepts that the offense in front of him is running. He tries hard in the run game and I said is physical enough to get by despite his frame and I thought to me that, you know, his thin frame was was apparent on film. I mean, he looks like a skinnier guy. Regardless of of, you know, what he showed up as at the combine. Now, the athletic traits are off the charts and we're still in the pros. So we still have to speak positively about that. Right. So we've got 76 percentiles shuttle with seventy second percentile three cone. That's the worst thing he's got because he's got absolutely elite explosives and that would be your vertical and broad jumps and then he ran a four four to 40. So like I said, he's got speed for days. It's just he did all these things at six foot one one eighty two. Now, again, he showed up to pro day weighing more. So, you know, who knows? And getting right into that right weaknesses, very light for a six foot tall cornerback, which will turn off some teams did not force or recover a fumble in 41 college games of Texas. Some of that is luck, but some of that is skill and he just didn't get it done in that way. So I thought it was worth noting that's a lot of games. His desire to lay massive hits can result in the occasional mis-tack or bad angle. He wants to smack you. Hand usage and press coverage is inconsistent and oftentimes inefficient. He's aggressive and that can be put in the pros. But I wrote here, he so turned up as a competitor and a player that he can bite on a good route, sail or a double move, which is absolutely true. Light frame shows up in the run game as he does not consistently get off blocks on outside runs in the screen game. So tries hard enough, tackles well enough. But I just felt like, boy, he had times where you could he looked like a skinny corner trying to defend the run. Again, 5 10 185. That's one thing. Six foot 182. That's skinny, skinny. Once again, folks brought to you by the Green Bay Draft Guide, powered by Packer Report, but also brought to you certainly by Packer Report. I believe we're running a 50% off VIP special right now. The number one way to support us in what we do, covering the Green Bay Packers for you guys all year round. Awesome way to support the writers, support me, get some great coverage and then you get access to the entire 24 7 sports network as well. So all the inside recruiting info on your favorite college is going to be there. If you're just nosy about like right now, the North Carolina men's basketball coaching job is open. Go read the boards. I mean, you can get all the inside info from every, you know, inside person as those stories come up, whether it's football coaching, search, you know, if you're recruiting junkie. It's it's it's interesting to be hosted by 24 7 as a pro football site. But you get a lot of really cool perks by being a Packers VIP member, including, you know, is supporting us. Fits with the Packers. It's tough. Right height and length that the Packers look for, but not the weight. You know, and right, like I said, even though he showed up heavier at pro day, and I can appreciate that. I just don't know how much they're going to put into that and how much, you know, okay, we're going to put into that. You know, okay, well, then what does his athleticism look like if he didn't put on all that weight? In addition, he is a man coverage specialist. Now, again, like he's functional in zone, but Malik Muhammad is a man corner. And if you thought Jeff Haffley, who everybody thought was going to play a whole bunch of man, played a whole bunch of zone. Wait till Jonathan Gannon, and I'm not even saying it's a bad thing. I'm just telling you, wait till Jonathan Gannon gets to town if you think they are playing some zone because they are playing some zone. And so my last line here is a thin man coverage specialist just doesn't seem the type. And that's true. And honestly, my player comp from him and by the guide, I'll give away a little bit here, but my player comp for him is Nate Wiggins. And Nate Wiggins was a guy that I loved for the Packers that they were just never going to take. That's a corner of the Clemson tall, skinny. I think he's been decent, if not above decent for the Ravens, I think. But it just hasn't been a player archetype that the Packers are interested in. So guys, thank you so much for watching. By the guide, subscribe to Pack Report, like and subscribe. Do all the things you're supposed to do right here on the Packarday Podcast YouTube channel. Most importantly, have a great rest of your day and go Pack Go.