The Green Bay Packers target an All-SEC cornerback in round two of the 2026 NFL Draft, aiming to solve their critical defensive back need with potential CB1 talent.
The need at cornerback can't be understated. The Green Bay Packers have a massive need at corner, and they can go a long way towards fixing that need in the 2026 NFL Draft.
They can't, sadly, fix this problem in the first round. They don't have the 20th overall pick in this draft because it belongs to the Dallas Cowboys. Having Micah Parsons on the roster for the next few seasons in return makes the lack of a first-round pick in this draft (and in 2027) worth it, though.
Green Bay can address cornerback in the second round, though, and it's worth noting that Chad Reuter of NFL.com sees them doing just that.
Reuter predicts that the Packers will stick at pick No. 52 in the 2026 NFL Draft and select cornerback Malik Muhammad from the Texas Longhorns.
Notably, Muhammad is one of the first players we here at PackersRoundtable ever evaluated in our "draft crush" series.
Muhammad has CB1 potential, and the Packers absolutely need a CB1. Keisean Nixon or Carrington Valentine just aren't going to cut it.
He played in 41 games in three seasons for Texas, notching 97 tackles, 16 passes defended, 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and three interceptions during that time frame.
He was an All-SEC player and gave up only two catches of 12-plus yards for the Longhorns in 2025.
"Muhammad is a tall, skinny athlete with quality coverage-match talent," wrote Dane Brugler in The Beast. "He doesn’t consistently play up to his timed speed, but he does show lateral agility and strain to stay attached to routes. He has athletic ball skills (looked outstanding during the gauntlet drill at the NFL combine), although I wish he took more chances to create turnovers. He is tough versus the run, although not always consistent."
That's about the scouting report you'd expect for a second-round corner, and it's worth noting that Bruger believes Muhammad projects as a starter at the NFL level. He also said that Muhammad has "shades of" Greg Newsome II, who was selected at No. 26 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
If the Packers can get a player comparable to the No. 26 overall pick at No. 52 overall, they'd take it all day.
Keep an eye on Muhammad as a potential target for Brian Gutekunst and the Packers on Day 2. At the very least, the Packers know he's a gamer. Two of his three career interceptions came last season in the Red River Rivalry game against Oklahoma.
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