{"id":823448,"date":"2026-03-20T16:51:25","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T16:51:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/823448\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T16:51:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T16:51:25","slug":"texas-cb-malik-muhammads-tie-to-saints-coaching-staff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/823448\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas CB Malik Muhammad’s tie to Saints coaching staff"},"content":{"rendered":"

March 20, 2026, 11:36 a.m. CT<\/p>\n

Over the course of the last few seasons, the New Orleans Saints<\/a> have completely revamped their cornerback room, which has had some positive results. Moving on from Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo ended up working in their favor so far, and letting Alontae Taylor walk at the cost he received likely was the right choice. Kool-Aid McKinstry looks to be a rising star, and Quincy Riley has shown flashes of potential in his rookie year.<\/p>\n

Now, things get interesting, as they have options to move things around to suit their needs. Riley has limited collegiate experience as a slot cornerback, but has the skillset to make it work, similar to how Taylor did coming into the league. McKinstry is certainly an outside corner, but is he the No. 1 long-term? Or the No. 2?<\/p>\n

Many things are starting to indicate that corner is going to be a focus for the Saints heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, as they have already met with two of the top names at the position. First up, they met with LSU standout Mansoor Delane<\/a>, hosting him for an official 30 visit, which indicates some strong interest. Then, they met with combine standout Malik Muhammad.<\/p>\n

“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\u2019ve already met with the Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers (virtually). I\u2019m 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,” Muhammad said in an interview with Justin Melo of NFL Draft on SI<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With three of the four NFC South teams having met with him, it could make for an extremely fun race to see who wants him the most. Muhammad is highly talented, no doubt, posting 30 tackles, 2 interceptions, 4 pass deflections, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a sack this year. In coverage, he allowed 21 receptions on 35 targets, for 168 yards and 1 touchdown, accruing 3 penalties in that span.<\/p>\n

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n

His athleticism is what pops off the board, though, putting up elite grades in both the composite speed and explosion categories on Kent Lee Platte’s RAS system<\/a>. Also notable is that he played under current Saints defensive pass game coordinator Terry Joseph in 2023 and 2024, and we saw the team was willing to make those connections by selecting Vernon Broughton last offseason, who worked alongside New Orleans defensive line coach Bo Davis at Texas for a few years.<\/p>\n

Getting a cornerback in the draft is a huge priority given the prices many have gone for in free agency this spring. Having McKinstry, Riley, and another rookie all on small-scale deals would be a great benefit to the team’s success moving forward.<\/p>\n

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