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Malik Muhammad of the Texas Longhorns is meeting for two days with the Dallas Cowboys.
The Dallas Cowboys did not make the headline moves on defense that many thought the team would be making this offseason, but there’s no question that they invested in replenishing the roster. Rashan Gary is on board as the team’s new pass-rusher, there are two new safeties (Jalen Thompson and PJ Locke) and an interesting new cornerback (Cobie Durant). But there’s more to be done, and while trades are still on the table, the bulk of the improvement figures to happen in the draft.
While safety has gotten the most attention thus far in free agency, the Cowboys are not done at cornerback, where concerns linger about the health of DaRon Bland and the ability of Shavon Revel to make a massive leap after a rough first year. The Cowboys need reliable corners, and the group they have now is shaky.
While it’s possible the Cowboys could address cornerback in the first round, where the team has two picks, they could well come back to the position in the third round, with the pick acquired from the 49ers in the Osa Odighizuwa trade. And that might be where Malik Muhammad of Texas comes in.
Malik Muhammad Has a 2-Day Visit With Cowboys
Multiple reports this week noted that the Cowboys would be hosting Muhammad on a Top 30 pre-draft visit, and an extended one at that. Muhammad is spending more than just an afternoon with the Cowboys. Most important, one of those reports came from Muhammad himself.
In an interview with Justin Melo of SI.com, Muhammad said he’s got a busy schedule: “I had a formal interview at the NFL Combine with the Atlanta Falcons. I have a two-day visit with the Dallas Cowboys coming up. I’ve already met with the Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers [virtually]. I’m actually scheduled to meet with the Panthers a second time.
I met with the New Orleans Saints and Buffalo Bills. Those are off the top of my head.”
Malik Muhammad Stock Rising
Muhammad has seen his stock rise since the NFL combine, when he ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash, which ranked eighth among all corners this season. That certainly caught the eye of the Cowboys, as does the fact that he has been playing for Texas–and the Cowboys generally have an inclination toward selecting Longhorns.
Of course, one of the problems with eyeing a sleeper is that once word gets out that you’re eyeing him, he is no longer a sleeper. There’s still a good chance that the Cowboys could use their third-round pick on Muhammad, but if momentum keeps picking him, he could bump up to the late second-round.
3rd-Round Starter for Cowboys?
If he could be had in the third round by the Cowboys, Muhammad figures to be a bargain. He profiles as a player who will not necessarily be a star at the position but who could be a dependable rotation piece–and likely a starter.
That’s the takeaway from NFL.com’s Lance Zeirlein, whose scouting report calls Muhammad an NFL starter, even if he lands in the third round and even if his relatively light build (6-foot, 182 pounds) requires a move to the slot.
Wrote Zeirlein: “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. … Muhammad has Day 2 talent and starter-level ability.”
Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney
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