Texas Defensive Back Malik Muhammad (DB23) Impresses at NFL Scouting Combine, Meets with Buffalo Bills

Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis – Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad, known throughout draft circles as DB23, used the NFL Scouting Combine as a springboard to reinforce his rising stock, clocking a 4.42-second 40-yard dash and drawing formal attention from a handful of clubs, among them the Buffalo Bills.

Speaking with NFL Draft OnSI’s Justin Melo, Muhammad confirmed he sat down with Buffalo’s decision-makers during the week-long evaluation period. “I met with the New Orleans Saints and Buffalo Bills,” he said while rattling off a list of visits that also included the Falcons, Cowboys, Commanders and Panthers. “Those are off the top of my head.”

The 6-foot, 180-pound cover man logged 41 games for the Longhorns, finishing his collegiate career with 97 tackles, 16 passes defensed and three interceptions. His 2025 senior tape featured personal bests in interceptions (2), tackles for loss (2.5) and sacks (1), while Pro Football Focus charted a stingy 57.8 passer rating when quarterbacks tested him.

Although Muhammad believes his natural home is on the outside—“I’m an outside cornerback. There’s no doubt about that,” he asserted—he stressed that versatility is part of the package. “Teams see that I can play every position in the defensive backfield, though. I can play corner, nickel, and sometimes I can even play the deep side of the field as a safety.”

That Swiss-army skill set meshes with the vision new Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard has outlined for an odd-front scheme that prizes “positionless” athletes. Buffalo parted ways with nickel Taron Johnson and boundary corner Dane Jackson this offseason, leaving a clear path for a rookie to compete for snaps behind recently signed veteran Dee Alford.

With the draft roughly one month away, Muhammad’s itinerary remains busy: a two-day visit to Dallas is on the docket, and a second virtual meeting with Carolina is scheduled. Yet after turning heads in Indianapolis, the Texas product has already left an impression on a Bills secondary in transition.