Maurice Jones-Drew Mock Draft 1.0 has Miami Selecting

NFL.com Draft Profile

Overview

Three-year starter with reams of high-leverage games on his résumé. 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 but he figures to test well and star in team interviews. He is a future starter as a movable back-end piece whose consistency will determine his floor/ceiling.

Strengths

• Has football IQ and athleticism to play multiple spots.
• Speed to phase deep routes or recover when necessary.
• Locates deep ball and plays it with plus body control.
• Challenges pass catchers with good force.
• Flows downhill and squeezes workspace for runners.
• Slips around big bodies and moves toward the action.
• Able to mirror and track bounce-outs with excellent burst.
• Gets runners down when he’s in position.

Weaknesses

• Average peripheral vision and block shed as a down safety.
• Slows and catches contact when tackling running backs.
• Inconsistent to stack blocks or spill the run from the box.
• Suspect pursuit angles surrender long touchdowns.
• Too many eye violations in coverage this year.
• Loses connection at break points when playing man.

The 33rd Team Scouting Report

Height: 6010 (unofficial)

Weight: 205 lbs (unofficial)

Year: Junior

Pro Comparison: Kevin Byard

Scouting Overview

Georgia Bulldogs safety Malaki Starks projects as a quality starter and potential franchise cornerstone for his NFL team. He’s been an impact player at Georgia since stepping onto the field as a true freshman in 2022, and Coach Kirby Smart’s defensive scheme will have him prepped for the nuance and detail required to be a splash player in the NFL.

The rigors of defensive coverage responsibilities will not be foreign to Starks, who has the versatility to play on either the second or third level of the defense and contribute as either a zone or man defender as needed based on coverage calls and pressure rotations. This is the best-tackling safety prospect to pass through the draft process since Brian Branch in 2023.

Positives

• Supreme versatility on the back end to fulfill high post, deep half, robber, slot, or second-level assignments
• Very physical and reliable tackler who offers good angles and consistency in space as a last line of defense
• Has illustrated elite ball skills in coverage down the field while having to flip eyes back and locate the ball in flight

Negatives

• Positional value knock is one that creates a philosophical question for GMs relative to skill/ability and draft stock
• Not often asked to serve as a pressure player, leaving an incomplete element for secondary pressure-heavy schemes
• The ability to plaster routes from off-coverage is not a primary winning trait

Background

Starks (full name is William Malaki Starks) is from Jefferson, GA, and played his high school football for Jefferson HS. Starks was rated as a 5-star recruit (247 Sports) and played in the Under Armour All-American Game as the No. 1 ranked athlete in the country from his recruiting class.

Starks played on both sides of the ball, logging big numbers as a defender and offensive weapon. He is credited with 41 combined passing, rushing, and receiving touchdowns in addition to his defensive efforts. In addition to football, Starks was a state champion long jumper (23-7 with a personal best of 24-9) and ranked a 10.55s 100m in track and field while also playing basketball.

He enrolled at Georgia after choosing the Bulldogs over Clemson & Alabama and quickly assimilated into the defense as a starter. He finished third on the team in tackles while starting 14 of 15 contests for the Bulldogs en route to their second-consecutive National Championship. He has been a staple of the Georgia secondary ever since. He was named First-Team All-SEC and a consensus All-American in 2023.

Ideal Scheme Fit, Role

Starks is a scheme-transcendent talent. He can play in any defensive ideology and find success thanks to his high football acumen, tackling ability, coverage versatility, and range on the back end.

He should be considered an immediate starter and has the potential to be one of the best in the league at his position by the end of his rookie contract.