Ravens' Draft Pick Among Best Offseason Moves

The Baltimore Ravens didn’t have the league’s flashiest offseason. Their biggest signing was receiver DeAndre Hopkins, a post-prime receiver who isn’t likely to be a major player in the passing offense. He, like many of the team’s acquisitions, was more meant to be a supporting actor for a Super Bowl-worthy core.

Subsequently, Baltimore won’t top rankings for the best offseasons or the most-improved teams. They don’t have more hype than the other elite contenders received, either.

However, the Ravens were among the winners of the NFL Draft, despite having limited capital, because they picked a complement for safety Kyle Hamilton.

Taking Georgia safety Malaki Starks was the biggest move of Baltimore’s offseason, and he was named the team’s most dangerous addition by Bleacher Report.

“As good as Hamilton is, he's a natural strong safety and Starks has been a playmaker along the back end from the day he stepped onto Georgia's campus, where he started a true freshman on a national championship-winning and all-time great defense,” Brent Sobleski wrote.

“Starks didn't test as well as expected during the predraft process, though, which knocked him to a degree and forced him into the latter portion of the first round. However, he's so smooth in coverage and understands what's in front of him that the combination of his skill set playing alongside Hamilton should give the Ravens a dynamic duo at safety.”

Starks, by his consensus ranking, was a steal at No. 27. He checked every box while taking on an array of responsibilities in a complex Kirby Smart defense. He will immediately step into a starting role and will be expected to flourish.

As Sobleski notes, though, Starks’ strengths mesh nicely with Hamilton’s, amplifying the young superstar as he plays even more snaps in the box and in the slot. Starks is versatile enough to allow Baltimore to pair him with Hamilton interchangeably, too.

In 2024, 16 teams had more interceptions than the Ravens. With Hamilton allowed to create even more havoc underneath, opportunities for Starks (who logged six interceptions and 17 passes defended in college) to make plays on the ball could be plentiful.

Baltimore ranked 11th in expected points added per play on defense a season ago. Starks, more than any of the Ravens’ moves, gives them the best chance of improving upon that mark in 2025, instantly contributing to one of the league’s best teams.