ExtremeRavens Posted yesterday at 12:00 PM Posted yesterday at 12:00 PM Eric DeCosta had a clear picture in his head of how he hoped to approach this NFL draft. That picture is him cruising down an empty highway with the wind whistling through his ears. The Ravens’ general manager envisioned himself comfortable in the driver’s seat, maybe one hand guiding the wheel. He’d reach for the dial to turn up the music. DeCosta claimed to have no expectations because what unfolded in the 26 picks before Baltimore was on the clock was going to dictate his calculus at No. 27. In this quirky metaphor from his predraft news conference, prodded about his selection process, DeCosta is “unencumbered and not worrying about [anything] but just driving,” he said, “just drafting and picking the best players.” Here are three takeaways from the Ravens’ joyride that was Day 1 of the draft, which ended with them picking Georgia safety Malaki Starks. Starks shined in pre-draft process The Ravens brought Starks in for a predraft meeting at the NFL scouting combine with DeCosta, coach John Harbaugh and numerous other team staffers. It lasted only about 15 minutes. That was plenty to knock their socks off. “Probably one of the most impressive interviews we’ve ever had at the combine,” DeCosta said. It was Starks’ ability to talk ball and his awareness that shined right away. They’d show him a clip to test out what he was seeing. Before pressing play, Starks, who was the starting safety on Georgia’s 2022 national championship team, was repeatedly calling out defensive schematics based solely on formations. He could dissect plays and had a knack for not only his responsibilities, but that of his teammates on any given play. DeCosta felt like he was sitting across from a coach. Starks walked out of the room and all the coaches looked at one another in amazement at the newest Raven, who Harbaugh called a “red-star prospect,” the highest honor for a Baltimore draftee. Ravens brass grades out those combine meetings on a 7-point scale. There are several categories to judge everything from a prospect’s character to his football IQ. Starks scored 7s across the board. “I haven’t seen that type of detail in a long time,” DeCosta said. When NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced the pick, Baltimore’s room full of scouts supposedly stood up and clapped. Harbaugh said “they were jacked.” Sometimes those scouts don’t show elation beyond a golf clap. Baltimore’s coach and general manager said the room was pretty excited about how Day 1 worked out. Georgia defensive back Malaki Starks poses after being chosen by the Ravens with the 27th overall pick of the first round of the NFL draft. (Jeff Roberson/AP) Versatility for the Ravens’ secondary John Harbaugh was already licking his chops. Asked if, between the 30 minutes after making the pick official and sitting down to field questions from reporters, he’d already started visualizing what that defense might look like, Harbaugh gave a big smile. “We have, we have.” Starks spent three seasons at Georgia. He left one of the most dominant programs in college football as a two-time AP All-American and two-time All-SEC selection. He was as reliable as they come, starting 42 consecutive games, pacing the 2024 Bulldogs in tackles (54) as a shifty, chameleon safety. At Georgia, Starks lined up at deep safety, box safety and nickel. Baltimore’s All-Pro Swiss Army knife, Kyle Hamilton does the same. So can Ar’Darius Washington, who broke into a starting safety role in the back half of last season. And cornerback Marlon Humphrey can play both inside and outside. The expectation with this pick is that Baltimore’s secondary — which struggled in deep coverage, leading the NFL in explosive plays allowed in 2024 — suddenly becomes a chess board but every piece is the all-powerful queen that can navigate like a rook and a bishop. “That’s a huge strength that they have,” Starks said. “That’s why they do so well on the defensive side of the ball, they have a lot of guys that can move around and be in different spots and produce at a high level. I think I bring that as well. I think I’m a safety who can move around. So I feel comfortable at the safety spot but I feel comfortable playing anywhere.” According to Pro Football Focus, Starks played 400 snaps as a deep safety, 271 in the slot and 215 in the box this past season. Those figures were similar in disparity the prior two seasons as well. And Starks’ missed tackle rate was below 10% in each of his three years as a starter, per PFF. Georgia coach Kirby Smart said last year, “Malaki can be our best player at five positions.” DeCosta fielded trade calls There were five edge rushers drafted before the Ravens were on the clock. Two defensive backs came off the board. There were four defensive tackles and three offensive tackles that were plucked before Baltimore’s turn. Based on how the first 26 picks unfolded, DeCosta said there were three or four players at the top of their big board with a realistic chance to snag at 27. Draftees like Alabama guard Tyler Booker, Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, Georgia edge rusher/linebacker Jalon Walker, Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen, Texas A&M edge rusher Shemar Stewart and Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon — all guys who were tied to the Ravens — were swooped up before Baltimore had a chance. And DeCosta doesn’t like to trade up, with the team’s move into the final pick of the 2018 first round to take Lamar Jackson being a notable exception. The phone in the Ravens’ war room started ringing. They had a chance to trade back. DeCosta weighed the possibility of adding a draft capital, which they covet, versus the potential available in sticking and picking. “For me, maybe I’m getting older and a little bit more conservative than I used to be,” DeCosta said. “But looking at the quality of player that we had with Starks versus what we might have to get, it just didn’t make enough sense for me.” It was a conversation and DeCosta entertained those calls. But Starks was “by far the best available for us when we made the pick.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article Quote
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