Consolidated draft grades for the Baltimore Ravens’ No. 27 pick of S Malaki Starks.
The Ravens, in true fashion, have been given a high grade for their first-round selection. After taking Georgia safety Malaki Starks, analysts, pundits and experts are applauding the Ravens’ Day 1 selection.
SB Nation’s Joseph Acosta | Grade: A+
“The Ravens are really good at this. Starks was one of the best players in the draft class, a versatile player who could run at nickel or deep safety. He allows the Ravens to play Kyle Hamilton closer to the line, and Starks can be impactful making plays on the ball downfield.”
Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer | Grade: A+
“The Ravens couldn’t let Starks keep falling as he gives their versatility secondary another big-time rangy playmaker to support Kyle Hamilton much better than fill-in Ar’Darius Washington. This is a terrific pick, yet another shrew move by Eric DeCosta and John Harbaugh.”
Yahoo! Sports’ Charles McDonald | Grade: A+
“Classic Ravens draft pick. A falling player that was highly sought after all season up until the draft. Malaki Starks and Kyle Hamilton will be an incredible duo right off the bat that will keep the Ravens playing elite defense for the near future.”
CBS Sports’ Ayrton Ostly | Grade: A
“The Ravens potentially get another first-round steal in the three-year starter for Georgia. Starks offers great versatility in coverage with the football IQ and commitment to run defense that will fit perfectly in the AFC North. Baltimore needed help in the secondary and grab the best defensive back on the board here.”
For The Win’s Christian D’Andrea | Grade: A
“Welp, they did it again. The Ravens waited patiently as an *extremely* Ravens player fell into their laps. Starks is a wonderful addition to the Baltimore lineup. He can man a safety role next to Kyle Hamilton. He can slide out to the slot to get the jump on shiftier receivers. He can fill in along the sideline if needed. Just having him in the lineup opens a new chapter in the playbook for coordinator Zach Orr. Rather than roll the dice on a less proven pass rusher like Mike Green, the Ravens opted for a proven blue-chip player who adjusts well to coaching and does whatever his team needs. And so, once again, the Baltimore defense will be a highway of metal spikes and quicksand once more.”
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski | Grade: A
“The Baltimore Ravens standing pat and landing an elite talent is completely on brand.
The B/R NFL Scouting Department had Georgia safety Malaki Starks as the No. 4 overall prospect in this year’s draft. Positional value pushes him down to a degree, and he didn’t run quite as well as hoped prior to the draft, but he’s silky smooth working the backline and in coverage. Starks is a classic example of seeing an athletic profile after watching a player for years, then realizing the two don’t exactly match up. The former shouldn’t completely override the latter, especially when the prospect isn’t a poor athlete by any means. Starks posted a middling relative athletic score during predraft testing, per Kent Lee Platte. However, Starks’ score compares to those of Earl Thomas, Xavier McKinney and Brian Branch.
The two-time first-team All-American is an elite talent and playmaker along the back end. Three years of high-end performance in the nation’s toughest conference, including starting as a true freshman, shows he’s more than deserving of a high draft grade and ready to take on the NFL. Last season, the Ravens defense improved once Kyle Hamilton moved from strong to free safety, but they still finished 31st in pass defense. The addition of Starks will allow Baltimore to use Hamilton all over the field because he thrives when working against the pass. The fact he was available with the 27th overall pick is nothing short of stealing. “
PFF Staff | Grade: Elite
“The Ravens let the board fall to them and take the best available player on the PFF Big Board. He has positional versatility that allows Kyle Hamilton to be a movable chess piece. Starks’ 85.6 run-defense grade was one of the best in the draft class, while his 8.1% missed tackle rate was one of the lowest in the class. Starks brings high-level football intelligence and great anticipation to make plays on the ball in coverage.”
The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman | Grade: B
“Starks was a driving force on Georgia’s defense, which faced the nation’s most difficult schedule last season en route to an SEC championship. Starks finished with a team-high 77 tackles (including four for loss), plus an interception and three pass breakups. He started a combined 42 games over three seasons and twice was a first-team All-American.
He should fit nicely in Baltimore’s secondary, alongside free safety Kyle Hamilton and nickel Marlon Humphrey, reinforcing the depth chart with Brugler’s 19th-ranked prospect. Perhaps corner was a more important need for the Ravens, but Starks is an elite player.”
CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco | Grade: B
“He’s a good player with a lot of range who will be a nice add on the back end of their defense. But why not an edge player? Then again, this is a tough team to argue about when it comes to drafting safeties.”
Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano | Grade: B
“Starks was a productive do-it-all defensive back for the Bulldogs. His versatile skill set allowed him to play at free safety and nickel corner. He’s a savvy playmaker who could also earn snaps as a special teams ace. A three-year starter, Starks had a team-high 77 tackles with one interception last season.”
USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz | Grade: B
“In my penultimate mock draft, I wrote Starks “looks like a Raven, plays like a Raven, feels like a Raven.” Now, he is a Raven – and I regret not sticking with my selection. Eric DeCosta famously doesn’t place positional considerations ahead of overall value, but he stressed this offseason how much adding another safety alongside Kyle Hamilton would do for the defense. If Starks can avoid short-circuiting in coverage the way he occasionally did in his final campaign with Georgia, he should help put the secondary in a more secure place.”