The Baltimore Ravens have a type. They love smart, physical, versatile defenders who can make opposing quarterbacks miserable. And no one recognized that DNA in Malaki Starks faster than defensive coordinator Zach Orr. It's probably why they selected him 27th overall.
Orr had his eye on Starks for months. He saw it on film. He saw it at the NFL Combine. He saw it again at Georgia’s Pro Day when Starks put on a show Orr still isn’t over., “After that workout, I honestly personally was saying, ‘there’s no way he’s going to get to 27,’” Orr said. “All the coaches, GM’s, and head coaches were raving about him. It was one of the best workouts I’ve seen.”
Instead of trading up, the Ravens let the board fall to them. And somehow, the player Orr was ready to dream about landed right in their lap. The celebration inside Baltimore’s draft room said it all.
"You fit our style of play... You'll do great things here in Baltimore for a long time."
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) April 25, 2025
Go inside Malaki Starks' exciting draft call: pic.twitter.com/L8lreJxMFu
Malaki Starks gives Ravens' secondary a major boost with elite versatility
Starks is more than a safety—he’s the perfect modern defender. And Orr made it clear the Ravens aren’t going to limit him:
“The advantage that we feel like we have here in Baltimore is being positionless,” Orr said. “And that’s all over the field, but especially with our secondary. [Starks] helps create an advantage for us and a disadvantage to the offense, because he can line up all over the field.”
At Georgia, Starks played everywhere—single-high, slot corner, even down in the box when needed. His range, instincts, and ball skills jump off the tape, but Orr said seeing it in person was even better:
“He made a catch where he peddled, got deep, broke on a ball beautifully, made an acrobatic catch. They had some tape and a rope nearby, and he saved himself—jumped over it all in one motion. Everybody in attendance was just ‘Wow.’”
It’s not just about the versatility, either. It’s the way Starks processes the game. Orr and the Ravens put a huge premium on football IQ in the secondary—players who can disguise looks, bait quarterbacks into mistakes, and react faster than the offense can adjust. Starks checks every one of those boxes. That’s what separates him from just another project. He’s ready to compete right now.
Now Orr gets to add that kind of weapon to a defense that already features Kyle Hamilton, Marlon Humphrey, and Nate Wiggins. Hamilton will roam the box. Starks will erase the deep middle. And quarterbacks around the AFC North are going to have a miserable time trying to figure out who’s coming and who’s lurking.
For Orr, this wasn’t just a good pick—it was the pick. “You see it on film,” he said, “but then getting really close, you can really see the movement skills and the ball skills.”
Now he gets to see them every day. And the Ravens’ defense just got a whole lot scarier. Crazy what a Pro Day can do for a prospect.