Photo: Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire

Malaki Starks was a player that had a wide range of possible outcomes coming into the 2025 NFL Draft. Some mock drafts had him going around the top 10, while others had him going towards the end of the first round. Eventually, the Baltimore Ravens scooped him up with the 27th overall pick, and he should make an immediate impact in their secondary.

Let’s take a look at how the former Georgia Bulldog will fit in with his new team.

Starks’ Strengths and Weaknesses

Malaki Starks is an incredibly well-rounded player who can help out the Ravens’ defense in a variety of ways. Nathan Cooper’s scouting report of Starks highlights his 3-level impact, FBI/instincts, ball skills, zone coverage, and more. He will create headaches for opposing quarterbacks in coverage, and he’s also an aggressive run defender.

Starks is not an outlier in terms of size and speed, and he also lacks consistency as a tackler. He’s not as reliable in man coverage as he is in zone either, but he’s adequate enough to get the job done.

Overall, Starks does have the skills to be a playmaker in the secondary for Baltimore.

Baltimore Ravens’ Team Needs

The selection of Starks got even more important after the NFL Draft. Unfortunately, Baltimore’s starting free safety from last year, Ar’Darius Washington, suffered a torn Achilles while conditioning for the upcoming season. Although he plans to make a comeback later in the season, this is still a huge blow to the Ravens’ secondary.

Washington’s injury happened after the NFL Draft, so why did free safety feel like a position of need for Baltimore before then? The main reason is because the Ravens use Nickel (5 DBs) and Dime (6 DBs) personnel at a very high rate. Baltimore mainly used a 3-3-5 personnel last season, which accounted for 37% of its defensive snaps (3rd-most). The Ravens also ranked 4th in Dime usage.

In addition to safety, Baltimore needed to address its offensive line, defensive line, and interior linebackers in the draft. After drafting Starks, the Ravens also took edge rusher Mike Green (59th overall), offensive tackle Emery Jones Jr. (91st overall), and linebacker Teddye Buchanan (129th overall).

The Ravens did a good job addressing their needs with their first four selections. However, they were not one of the top teams when it came to our 2025 SIS NFL Draft Grades.

How Should the Ravens Use Starks?

The injury to Ar’Darius Washington essentially makes Malaki Starks the starting free safety immediately. Prior to the injury, it might’ve been a positional battle between the two players, but that’s not the case anymore.

Starks has the ability to play in both one-high and two-high safety schemes, but there should be a preference for the latter. The decision to draft Starks makes sense because the Ravens played out of two-high looks on 62% of snaps last season (7th-most).

Starks is an incredibly smart player, which will allow him and Kyle Hamilton to disguise coverages and confuse opposing quarterbacks. Last season, Baltimore mainly played in two-high looks, but used Cover 1 or 3 on 52% of snaps (6th-highest). This means the defense likes to give a two-high shell look before they rotate into a coverage that the quarterback might not be expecting.

Baltimore allowed 264 passing yards per game last year, which ranked 3rd-worst in the NFL. Adding Starks to the mix will give the Ravens a better chance to shut down opposing aerial attacks. Starks will also get some reps in the slot, as a blitzer, and in the box, but Kyle Hamilton will get more work in these areas between the two Ravens’ safeties.

Is Starks a Good Fit in Baltimore?

The Ravens were already an elite team heading into the draft, which is why they had the 27th overall pick in the first place. However, they still had areas of need: offensive line, defensive line, and inside linebacker. Instead of drafting one of those positions with their first-round pick, they opted to take Starks.

Baltimore’s heavy use of Nickel and Dime personnel, as well as two-high shells, requires smart, physical, and instinctive players. Starks has the exact traits that fit the Ravens’ scheme and the injury to Ar’Darius Washington only makes him more important to their roster.

It’s clear that the Ravens want to improve their pass defense from last season, and Starks will help them do exactly that. The real question is, will it be enough to help take the Ravens to the Super Bowl?