When looking through mock drafts, it becomes clear that many analysts believe the Baltimore Ravens should look to address the safety position early on.
Bruce Feldman of The Athletic is the latest analyst to suggest such an idea, predicting the Ravens to select Georgia safety Malaki Starks at No. 27 overall in his latest mock draft. Feldman is far from the first to suggest this pairing, and he’ll be far from the last as well.
“Starks’ playmaking ability fits with the Ravens’ DNA,” Feldman wrote. “The 6-1, 197-pound Starks started all three years at Georgia — no small feat given the talent pool and intricacy of the defensive system. He led Georgia with 77 tackles and ran a stellar 4.5 40-yard dash. His 1.51 10-yard split is even better.”
“’He’s super smooth,’ an SEC offensive coordinator said. ‘He covers a lot of ground. He is a very savvy player. Really good open-field tackler. Georgia wasn’t that good in the back end (in 2024). I think their issues would’ve been a lot more glaring if he wasn’t back there.’“
A junior from Jefferson, Ga., Starks is considered one of the top safeties in this class alongside South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori. Over his three year career with the Bulldogs, Starks had 197 tackles, 17 passes defended and six interceptions. He was a consensus All-American in 2023 and a first-team All-American in 2024.
As for why the Ravens need a safety, that’s quite simple. While Kyle Hamilton and Ar’Darius Washington form a strong starting duo, the former in particular being arguably the best safety in the league, Baltimore’s depth at the position is severely lacking. The only other safeties on the roster are Sanoussi Kane and Beau Brade, the last two players to make the 2024 roster who played almost entirely on special teams as rookies.
So, adding a third starting-caliber safety seems like it should be a priority for the remainder of the offseason. Not only is it important in itself, but it would allow Hamilton to use his trademark versatility, which he didn’t get to in the second half of last season once the depth deteriorated.
If Starks can make the transition to the NFL smoothly, and all signs suggest he can, he could be the answer the Ravens are looking for.
