Jan 8, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Washington Huskies cornerback Jabbar Muhammad (1) breaks up a pass intended for Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Cornelius Johnson (6) during the second quarter in the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Jabbar Muhammad CB Oregon | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Jabbar Muhammad CB Oregon
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| ROLE: Outside Zone CB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/01/2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.52 seconds (40%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ROLE: Outside Zone CB | |
| Last Updated: 03/01/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2025 | |
| 40 time: 4.52 seconds (40%*) | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: | 82.0 / 100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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79% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 67.7 | |
| Tackling: |
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73% |
| Run Defense: |
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65% |
| Coverage: |
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83% |
| Zone: |
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76% |
| Man/Press: |
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84% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
7th
Overall Rank:
#220
Position rank:
#41
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| College Games: 59 College Snaps: 2878 | ||
ESPN RATING: 76/100
College Combine Results
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247 RATING: 86/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.5 (90%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mike Sainristil - Michigan |
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85% |
| Chau Smith-Wade - Washington State |
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85% |
| Clark Phillips III - Utah |
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84% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Jabbar Muhammad has traveled a winding path through the college football landscape. The DeSoto High product initially landed at Oklahoma State where he spent three seasons (2020-2022), gradually earning his stripes and eventually securing honorable mention All-Big 12 honors in his final campaign with the Cowboys. Muhammad then took his talents to Washington in 2023, where he flourished in the Huskies' secondary, setting a single-season school record with 16 pass breakups while earning second-team All-Pac-12 recognition. His stellar play—including a standout performance against Oregon State that earned him Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week—helped propel Washington to the National Championship game. For his final collegiate act, the 5'9", 182-pound corner transferred to Oregon for the 2024 season under defensive mastermind Dan Lanning.The former three-star recruit accumulated impressive statistics throughout his career, tallying 40 career pass breakups with 28 coming in his final two seasons. His impact went beyond disrupting passes, as demonstrated in his 2023 campaign where he recorded 71 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 3 interceptions. His nose for the football was particularly evident during Washington's crucial late-season matchup against Oregon State, where he registered two interceptions, a fumble recovery, and four pass breakups in a single game.
The cornerback's football lineage runs deep—his father Elijah played at East Texas State while brothers E.J. (Nevada) and Khairi (North Texas) both played defensive back at the collegiate level. Despite measuring in at just 5'9" and lacking elite straight-line speed (4.52 forty), Muhammad has consistently found ways to impact games through instincts, ball skills, and competitive tenacity that belies his modest physical dimensions.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Elite ball disruptor with natural instincts at the catch point, showcasing remarkable timing when swatting passes and turning incomplete what should be completions.
- Plays with exceptional zone coverage awareness, maintaining proper depth and showing quick mental processing to recognize route combinations developing around him.
- Uses crafty footwork in press technique to take away inside releases, showing patience before committing and maintaining proper positioning throughout routes.
- Outstanding vision when playing the ball in the air, consistently locating and tracking passes with his head turned while staying connected to his receiver's hip pocket.
- Brings unexpected physicality in run support despite size limitations, showing no hesitation when coming downhill to support contain responsibilities.
- Versatile defensive back with experience at three different programs, demonstrating ability to quickly absorb new schemes and responsibilities.
- Displays significant pattern recognition when passing off route combinations in zone, rarely getting caught out of position when offense runs switch releases.
- Shows legitimate dog in contested situations, compensating for size with aggressive hand fighting and competitive toughness at the point of attack.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Severely limited by small frame that creates consistent mismatches against bigger boundary receivers, particularly in jump ball scenarios.
- Tackling technique remains inconsistent, often approaching too high and sliding off ball carriers instead of wrapping through the legs or midsection.
- Shows adequate but not exceptional long speed, forcing him to play with excessive cushion against vertical threats to avoid getting stacked.
- Can get overly aggressive on route breaks, occasionally biting on subtle shoulder fakes and head movements that leave him vulnerable to double moves.
- Backpedal lacks fluidity with some choppy transitions when flipping hips to run, creating separation opportunities that NFL quarterbacks will exploit.
Scouting Report: Summary
Muhammad is a fascinating study in how technique and instinctive play can compensate for physical limitations. His film reveals a cornerback who thrives with his eyes facing the quarterback in zone coverage, where his instincts and ball skills can truly shine. Though Muhammad has experience on the boundary, his NFL future lies primarily as a nickel defender where his quick-twitch movement skills and processing speed will be maximized against slot receivers while minimizing his exposure to size mismatches.What separates Muhammad from other undersized corners in this class is his legitimate playmaking ability and competitive toughness. He plays with a controlled aggression in coverage, showing patience before exploding through catch points with perfectly timed hands. Teams running heavy zone concepts that emphasize pattern-matching principles will find Muhammad particularly valuable, as his ability to process route combinations and maintain proper leverage consistently shows up on tape.
Muhammad represents solid value in the late rounds for teams needing secondary depth with developmental upside. While he may never develop into a full-time perimeter starter due to physical constraints, his zone coverage prowess and ball production project him as a valuable sub-package defender with special teams value. Muhammad's ceiling might be as a starting nickel in the right scheme, but his floor as a dependable depth piece makes him a day 3 selection for teams prioritizing game intelligence over physical metrics.
Written By:
Lennox Tate
Jabbar Muhammad percentiles vs other Cornerbacks (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Jabbar Muhammad (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
225.4
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
53.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.