Malaki Starks adds immediate and terrifying boost to an already dangerous Baltimore Ravens secondary
The Baltimore Ravens' secondary is going to look even more dangerous this fall after they selected Georgia Bulldogs safety Malaki Starks with the 27th overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft last night. Starks entered the draft after tallying 197 tackles, six interceptions, and 17 passes defended over three seasons with the […]
The Baltimore Ravens' secondary is going to look even more dangerous this fall after they selected Georgia Bulldogs safety Malaki Starks with the 27th overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft last night.
Starks entered the draft after tallying 197 tackles, six interceptions, and 17 passes defended over three seasons with the Bulldogs. While his overall production dipped in 2024 compared to 2023, it's important to note that he was asked to take on multiple roles in Georgia's secondary.
Regardless, he was a projected top-15 pick, so for the Ravens to land him at No. 27 is considered a steal.
The Ravens weren't just drawn to what he could physically do on the field, but also his football IQ and ability to dissect plays off the field.
"I just think it was remarkable, the way that he could discuss football," Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said of Starks' pre-draft interview. "His awareness, his ability to call out the plays from their defense before we even showed the plays, just based on formation. The ability to dissect and talk about what happened on any given play and to know what his teammates were doing on any given play.
"It was like he was a coach. And when he got up we all were just kind of looking at each other. We use a grading scale, we grade every interview, and seven is the best, and across the board he got straight sevens. So it was just super impressive. I haven't seen that type of detail in a long time."
Starks now joins a Ravens secondary that ranked No. 6 in 2024 and stars a handful of versatile defensive backs, such as All-Pro Kyle Hamilton, Ar'Darius Washington, All-Pro Marlon Humphrey, along with Nate Wiggins and Chidobe Awuzie.
Malaki Starks Scouting Report
Safety, Georgia
Hometown: Jefferson, Georgia
21 years old (11/13/2003)
A to Z Sports Expected Draft Position: 15
Pre-Draft Round Projection: 1
"A perfect 100 five-star recruit out of high school, Malaki Starks started in his second game at Georgia, which isn't the norm for a program like Georgia. He was an impact player from day one with his range, athleticism, and ball skills showing out. In his career, Starks intercepted six passes and broke up 14 more. Some might end up moving him down draft boards due to his poor testing at the NFL Combine, but the film doesn't show any issues. Overall, Starks is a potential All-Pro in the right system who will likely be a value because safeties slide down the board." – Tyler Forness, A to Z Sports NFL Draft analyst
Career Projection: All-Pro Potential
