ExtremeRavens Posted 11 hours ago Posted 11 hours ago Here’s what The Baltimore Sun staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ selection of Georgia safety Malaki Starks in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft on Thursday night in Green Bay, Wisconsin: Brian Wacker, reporter: It was always going to be defense for the Ravens — and likely going to be a safety — with a need to improve a secondary that was one of the worst in the NFL last season, particularly on plays down the field. In landing Starks, Baltimore got not just a productive player (his 77 tackles led the Bulldogs last year), but a defender who can make plays on the ball and is versatile enough top play multiple spots in the backfield. Starks had three pass breakups and an interception in 2024 and was even better in 2023 when he was a first-team Associated Press All-American and finalist for the Bronko Nagurski (top defender) and Jim Thorpe (top defensive back) Awards after racking up 52 tackles, seven pass breakups and three interceptions. He should be an immediate contributor on defense and special teams. Mike Preston, columnist: The Ravens got better on defense. They didn’t get the edge rusher this team so desperately needs, but in Starks they have a prospect who can play center field on defense and allow fellow safety Kyle Hamilton to go back to playing near the line of scrimmage. That’s where Hamilton is at his best. He is one of the best pass rushers on the team and a playmaker. Hamilton has strong hands and is a mismatch for most running backs in pass protection. Starks is 6 feet 1 and weighs 197 pounds. He led the Bulldogs in tackles last season with 77, including four for losses. He has a good nose for the ball and will help the Ravens in coverage. Last season, Baltimore had one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. Sam Cohn, reporter: This is a really strong start to the draft for Baltimore. The safety position drew plenty of ire from the fan base last year with a rotating cast beside All-Pro Kyle Hamilton that took more than half the season before settling on a suitable partner on the back end, Ar’Darius Washington. Starks could make a quick impact, helping shore up that group. The three-year starter out of Georgia ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash and jumped 33 inches at the NFL combine. Starks’ speed and ball skills are best downfield, giving the Ravens more flexibility to use their Swiss army knife (Hamilton) where he operates best: closer to the line of scrimmage. A few strengths of Starks’: football IQ, can play the deep ball with plus body control and excellent burst. This is a pick to be excited about after the Ravens let up oh so many explosive plays (58 for 20-plus yards, third most in the NFL) in 2024. Taylor Lyons, reporter: The Ravens joined the rest of the AFC North with going defense in the first round but steered away from the front seven with Georgia safety Malaki Starks. Kyle Hamilton and Ar’Darius Washington, who signed the restricted free agent tender this week, are already one of the NFL’s top safety duos. Adding Starks to the bunch gives defensive coordinator Zach Orr plenty of room to get creative with how he’ll deploy all three. Hamilton could line up deep, a role he thrived in late last season after Marcus Williams was jettisoned from the lineup, or in the box as Starks and Washington complement the Pro Bowl selection elsewhere and Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins anchor the boundaries. The Ravens’ defensive backfield is full of versatile pieces — a dream for Orr, the young defensive coordinator who improved as the season went on and now gets another talent to experiment with. C.J. Doon, editor: Never in doubt, right? Starks was the most common pick among the most accurate mock drafters, and he ends up falling in the Ravens’ laps. His versatility will help shore up a secondary that ranked as one of the worst in the league last year, even after a late-season turnaround. Baltimore loves using three-safety looks, so Starks, All-Pro Kyle Hamilton and breakout star Ar’Darius Washington can all be on the field together. This gives defensive coordinator Zach Orr and new senior secondary coach Chuck Pagano plenty of options to disguise coverages and confuse quarterbacks. Not to mention, he was praised for his leadership at Georgia and his ability to get his teammate lined up properly. Sounds like a perfect fit to fix a sometimes leaky defense. On a related note, the AFC North got a heck of a lot more interesting tonight. The Browns passed on a potential generational two-way player in Travis Hunter and picked up Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham and additional draft capital to rebuild their roster. Whether they regret that move depends on how well Hunter plays and if those additional picks turn into something good (a QB of the future, maybe on Day 2 on Friday? or maybe Arch Manning watch for 2026?), but they were not a Travis Hunter away from competing next year. The Bengals added an athletic marvel in Texas A&M edge rusher Shemar Stewart who has all the tools to be a thorn in Lamar Jackson’s side … if he can ever learn to finish sacks. Oh, and of course the Steelers made the sensible pick, taking Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon as the heir apparent to Cameron Heyward. (Sorry, Shedeur Sanders). Those are far from sexy moves, but they could make the Ravens’ division rivals a lot tougher next season and beyond. Tim Schwartz, editor: This felt inevitable. The last time the Ravens took a safety in the first round, it turned out better than anybody could’ve expected. Kyle Hamilton now has a fellow first-round pick to roam the secondary alongside him in Starks, who cut his teeth for three years in the nation’s top conference. It’s a pick that everybody from Grok AI to the best mock drafters had on their board, and it makes sense. While Baltimore’s defensive improved from its dreadful start to the 2024 season, it was still a weakness by season’s end. This shores up a shaky unit. Now the Ravens can turn their attention to other positions of need — edge rusher and offensive line at the top of that list — with their two picks on Friday night. Bennett Conlin, editor: Grok AI told us the Ravens would win the Super Bowl if they drafted Starks. Mission accomplished! Starks fits into Baltimore’s identity. He’s a three-time All-American who comes from one of the best SEC teams in recent history, and his athleticism and production explain why he stuck on the Bulldogs’ stout defense. Starks made 77 tackles last season, including four tackles for loss, and he broke up 23 passes over the past three seasons to go with six interceptions. He’s an incredibly reliable tackler (84 or higher PFF tackling grade in each of the past three seasons), making it easy to envision Starks growing into the ideal complement for fellow safety Kyle Hamilton. Grok AI might be hyperbolic in suggesting that Starks will put the Ravens over the hump in their journey toward the Lombardi Trophy, but he certainly doesn’t hurt. He’ll contribute immediately and should develop into a multi-year NFL starter. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article Quote
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