Malaki Starks Details Surprise Of Being Drafted By Baltimore Ravens & His Rookie Season Objectives

Malaki Starks is more than happy to be a member of the Baltimore Ravens.

The two-time All-American was a standout safety at the University of Georgia, winning a national championship during his freshman season before emerging as one of the best defensive backs in the country over his final two in Athens.

The 21-year-old was selected with the No. 27 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Ravens, a move that he was a little surprised by.

“I was excited,” says Starks in a one-on-one interview. “It was a long night, it really was. I didn’t really know, I had talked to the Ravens at combine, and that was pretty much it since then. I wasn’t really expecting to get that call from the Ravens, but when I did, I was excited just coming into an organization like the Ravens and just learning from so many people who have so much knowledge about the game of football, it was life changing.”

The young safety says his meeting with the Ravens leading into the draft was pretty “standard” and didn’t give off the immediate feel they were going to select him during the draft.

“Just kind of standard, nothing crazy,” says Starks of his meeting with Baltimore. “It was just really standard.”

Starks is projected to be the starting free safety alongside Kyle Hamilton, already considered one of the league’s best safeties at the age of 24. Hamilton is a two-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro selection.

The rookie Starks joins a Ravens defensive unit that finished the year strong, ranking ninth in points allowed per game. However, they did rank 31st in passing yards allowed, an area that they’ll look to improve upon with Starks in the fold.

He says there’s “no doubt” it’s a good feeling to land with a championship-contending team like the Ravens, something that he’s used to coming from playing with the Georgia Bulldogs under head coach Kirby Smart during his college career.

“The value of time and with that patience,” says Starks. “Coach Smart is very intense, he runs his program like a pro-type program. You learn a lot and a lot gets thrown at you fast, and you have to learn it, but it takes patience. You also have to learn how to manage your time as well. I think all those things that I learned at the University of Georgia has prepared me to come to the league

The 6-foot-1 safety says he wants to bring those traits with him that he learned at Georgia along with continuing to learn in the NFL.

“I want to bring those with me and then learn what it’s like to be in the league as well,” says Starks. “I play with a bunch of NFL talent, some guys that are in the league now, some guys that are going to the league with me, and then some guys who are coming right behind me. Just being able to be in a program like that, where a lot of guys who have that type of talent has prepared me.”

There’s little doubt that Starks will be given every opportunity to prove himself immediately in his rookie season. When asked what his objectives are entering his first season, he downplays any statistical objectives and instead zones in on earning the “respect” of his teammates.

“My biggest thing is I just want to earn the respect of the organization, because they decided to take a shot on me and the draft, and I want to earn the respect of all my teammates as well,” says Starks. “You come in, it’s kind of like being a freshman, you come in, all your hype and all your stats don’t really matter. You have to earn that respect. That’s my biggest thing that I want to do.”

Starks is already enjoying being a member of the Ravens just a couple weeks after being drafted. He just went through rookie minicamp with his fellow first-year players.

“It’s been an honor, it really has,” says Starks. “They have a really great organization. All the people that I’ve gotten to meet and build connections with, and just like I said earlier, just how they go about their business. Their brand matches the people, it’s very clean and it’s ran in a certain type of way. It’s really cool to get to meet people and have a connection like that. I’m really excited.”

Malaki Starks Partners With Tide Leading Into 2025 NFL Draft

One of the things that Starks did during the pre-draft process was partner with Tide, a product he’s used since he was a kid. The partnership began right before the draft and he’s done some events with Anthony “Spice” Adams, a former NFL defensive tackle who is also partnered with Tide.

“The biggest thing is a lot of people think that it starts on the field, but it’s off the field as well,” says Starks. “When you feel good, and you smell good, and your clothes feel good, it translates on the field too as well. It’s just a very clean and prestigious company and that’s how I handle my business as well.”