The Baltimore Ravens have a defense back on the rise in 2026. New head coach Jesse Minter should vault the unit from one of the worst in the league in 2025 to one of the top-10 this year. His expertise should also help some of the team’s youngest rising stars reach another level.
Malaki Starks is among those rising stars, and he has an extremely high ceiling. The Ravens drafted him in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft believing he could be a franchise cornerstone. The hype for Starks was through the roof, as well, so much so that many outlets ranked him as a top-10 prospect.
Now, it sounds like he’s starting to validate Baltimore’s belief.
In an interview at training camp, Starks’ All-Pro teammate, Kyle Hamilton, had a huge amount of respect for the second-year pro, highlighting that Starks could be as good as any safety in the league.
“Malaki, I don’t see a reason why he can’t be the best at his position in our league,” Hamilton said. “He has all the talent, mentality, the approach to the game. Very soon here, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the best safety in the league.”
Baltimore Ravens could receive league’s-best boost from Malaki Starks soon
It might be tough for Malaki Starks to reach that league’s-best potential given that Kyle Hamilton occupies the same defense as him. Hamilton is an insane difference-maker, whose impact really can’t be replicated. However, when Hamilton talks about greatness at the safety position, you better listen, and it sounds like Starks could be next up sooner rather than later.
Hamilton’s praise isn’t really coming out of nowhere. Starks turned in a solid rookie campaign, bringing much-needed stability to the back end of a leaky secondary while recording two interceptions. It wasn’t the elite showing many were expecting, though, and Starks will tell you he is capable of so much more.
Baltimore needs that more from Starks, too. While the arrival of defensive gurus Jesse Minter and Anthony Weaver is expected to make the defense look functional, and potentially even dominant, the secondary will really want to see Starks blossom into the superstar that Hamilton sees in him. They barely improved at corner this offseason, so a Starks emergence would be exactly what the doctor ordered.
At Georgia, Starks immediately became a standout as a freshman. The NFL learning curve was the first real adversity that Starks faced, but there were plenty of signs that he can quickly turn a corner in his second year. His coverage instincts, ball skills, and IQ are all exceptional.
If Hamilton is on the money with his praise, the Ravens could have themselves a historically good safety room led by two All-Pro-caliber safeties.
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