Ravens Select Malaki Starks in 2025 NFL Draft

Starks, a three-year starter for one of the country's best defenses, is an extremely versatile safety, able to line up almost anywhere in the secondary. He also solves a massive need for the Ravens, as their safety depth behind Kyle Hamilton and Ar'Darius Washington has been a major concern.

The Ravens had their choice of the top two safeties in the draft with Starks and South Carolina's Nick Emmanwori, and they ended up choosing the player who's not quite as much of an athlete, but fits their scheme very well.

"Three-year starter with reams of high-leverage games on his résumé," NFL.com's Lance Zierlien wrote in his scouting report. "Starks is a versatile safety with the size and athleticism to eliminate contested catches and the speed and ball skills to shine when the action travels deep. Connection to the route is inconsistent in man and he’s baited out of position by misdirection, but better discipline and anticipation should clean that up. He’s not a true force player near the line and his pursuit angles can be raggedy but he gets guys down when he’s in position."

"Starks has feast-or-famine moments on tape and disappointed with his short-area testing at the NFL Scouting Combine. He ran well in Indianapolis, though, and was impressive in interviews with teams. He is a future starter as a movable back-end piece whose consistency will determine his floor/ceiling."

The Ravens will be back on the clock on Friday night when they pick at No. 59 overall in the second round.