The Beatdown staff share which of the Baltimore Ravens’ draft selections was their favorite.
The Baltimore Beatdown staff share who their favorite pick was of the Baltimore Ravens 2025 NFL Draft class.
It’s the chalk, boring choice but my favorite draft pick from this year’s Ravens’ class is Malaki Starks. He checks off almost every box the Ravens needed in their first round selection. He fits a position of need, was a great value pick, and is NFL-ready to play big defensive snaps right away. Out of all the prospects they could have taken at No. 27 overall, Starks has the best chance of being a difference-maker in the postseason, too. — Frank Platko
My favorite pick is the easy one and that is Ravens’ first-rounder Malaki Starks. I love this pick for multiple reasons, the first of which is the quality of player and leader Baltimore was able to land at the backend of the first round. Starks should contribute right away to Zach Orr’s defense. The second reason I love this pick so much is what it does for the rest of the defense, particularly for safety Kyle Hamilton. Having Starks available to play on the backend of the defense frees Hamilton up to play where he is best, which is closer to the line of scrimmage where he routinely wrecks plays.
Stark’s versatility to also play in the slot and in the dime will lead to a level of unpredictability for opposing quarterbacks that has to have Orr foaming at the mouth. Between Starks, Hamilton, safety Ar’Darius Washington and cornerback Marlon Humphrey, the Ravens should field one of the most versatile defensive back groups in the NFL. — Dustin Cox
I’m going off the beaten path. Starks is an obvious choice because he’s the first rounder, Green is an obvious choice because of the value and potential impact as a top 10-20 talent in this class. But I’m coming to love the LaJohntay Wester pick from the sixth round.
This return game has been abysmal for a long time. Devin Duvernay kind of settled things down for a little and was consistent but only had a couple big returns across an extended period. Tylan Wallace obviously has the biggest special teams play since Jacoby Jones in the Super Bowl. But Wallace lacked any consistent performance and was generally not a great punt returner who misread punts at times.
But Wester could and should be a return to the Jacoby Jones times. More important than actual top speed in punt returns, Wester has incredible burst, acceleration, and the start-stop ability that allows dynamic returns to be created. He was awarded the AAC special teams player of the year where he averaged nearly 20 yards a return on 14 punt returns.
Along with the special teams aspect, which is good enough on its own to be worth the sixth-round pick, Wester was an insanely productive slot receiver. He had 1,168 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023 with Florida Atlantic then nearly had 1,000 again with 10 touchdowns in Colorado behind second-overall pick Travis Hunter. I think there’s an NFL slot receiver in there despite the size issues. He’ll have plenty of time to develop with Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman still here for another three and two years minimum, respectively.
Wester is one of the most exciting weapons the Ravens have drafted in a long time. Once Ravens fans find his highlight package, he’s going to quickly become a fan favorite who fans ask why he’s not getting opportunities. But with trust and time, he’ll get his chances. For now, the returner will dazzle us. — Zach Canter