When a player is selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, they enter the league with really high expectations. That certainly was the case for Malaki Starks, who the Baltimore Ravens selected with the 27th-overall pick. After three dominant years at Georgia, Starks was the first safety off the board in the 2025 Draft, and he’s expected to become the next elite Ravens defender.
It’s extremely early in the young defender’s career, as he’s only been through an offseason program, but he’s well on his way to meeting expectations. In a recent ESPN piece, checking in on all the 2025 first-round picks, Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley highlighted how impressed the team has been with the young safety.
The rookie safety has demonstrated his leadership since his first day in the building, organizing a walk-through at the hotel for rookie minicamp. That preparation has shown up on the field, because head coach John Harbaugh praised the rookie, who’s taking first-team reps, for not making any mistakes.
"Starks has played with the first-team defense from the first practice of spring, and he hasn't blinked. He made a strong first impression by organizing walk-throughs at the team hotel during rookie minicamp. Since then, Starks has knocked away numerous passes by breaking on the ball. His maturity should make him an immediate impact player.Jamison Hensley (ESPN)
"You throw a situation at him, and he knows," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "He's been studying and comes prepared. I've never seen him make a real mistake yet. He's very much a pro, probably way advanced beyond his years.""
John Harbaugh says Malaki Starks has had a flawless offseason
People may be quick to brush these comments off, arguing that it’s just minicamp and OTAs, but these are the exact kind of reports you want coming out about a first-round rookie. Additionally, it doesn’t matter when it is, a rookie not making any mental mistakes is impressive, because the mental transition and learning of the playbook and terminology is often the hardest part of jumping to the NFL for rookies.
The fact Malaki Starks is already demonstrating mastery in that department means he’ll be prepared to show up to training camp and the regular season to play free. That will allow him to put his impressive athleticism on display and make a ton of plays for Baltimore.