Ravens' Top Draft Pick Impresses Former Players

Analysts have already heaped praise on Baltimore Ravens rookie safety Malaki Starks, with some hailing him as a "home-run pick."

It's not just media analysts that have fallen in love with him, however.

Prior to the draft, Starks worked extensively with former NFL wide receiver turned trainer Yo Murphy, who raved about the rookie's maturity and mindset in an interview with the Baltimore Sun's Sam Cohn.

"When I first met him — I deal with so many young men that are in their early 20s — a lot of times you say, 'They just got a little maturing to do. They just gotta be a little more process driven," Murphy said. "With Malaki, it wasn't like that. You got a guy that has that type of athletic ability but really thinks through and wants to know everything about his body, everything about performance. He wants to be great.

"His maturity, professionalism and his approach, his interviewing me about where he's gonna train, just showed a lot about him."

Murphy, 51, played for four different NFL teams throughout his career, as well as several other teams across the CFL, NFL Europe and the original XFL. Now based in Tampa, Fla., he trains several NFL hopefuls on their way to the draft.

During training, Murphy introduced Starks to Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Antoine Winfield Jr., and immediately took note of the younger safety's mindset throughout the interaction.

"I could hear him asking questions," Murphy said, "like, 'What's the hardest thing about your position?' Or, 'What do you do to prepare?'"

Logan Ryan, who played 11 years in the NFL and won two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, told Murphy that Starks was "the smartest young guy I ever met."

Starks' relatively pedestrian performance at the combine drew some concerns, but with a mindset like this, it's easy to see why he was the first safety off the board.