OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta called it one of the most impressive interviews the Ravens have had at the combine.
That impression helped Georgia safety Malaki Starks become the team's first-round draft pick.
“I just think it was remarkable, the way that he could discuss football,” DeCosta said. “His ability to call out the plays from their defense before we even showed the plays, just based on formation. His ability to dissect and talk about what happened on any given play, and know what his teammates were doing on any given play. It was like he was a coach.”
The Ravens took Starks with the 27th pick Thursday night. It was their second consecutive year drafting a defensive back in the first round after taking Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins in 2024.
Baltimore didn't have too many obvious needs after winning a second straight AFC North title, but its pass defense was a problem early last season. One way to limit big plays was putting star safety Kyle Hamilton in a deeper role, but adding Starks may free up Hamilton to move around more.
“It definitely gives us that option. It's not to say that Kyle won't be back there because he will be,” coach John Harbaugh said. “But the good news is, the offense isn't going to know who's going to be back there on any given play. Not going to be able to line up and say, ‘OK, Kyle’s going to be deep.'”
Starks too has some intriguing versatility.
“He covers people man to man. He comes up and tackles people," Harbaugh said. "He plays nickel zone responsibility, which is really kind of tricky. He's got a good feel for that. In the deep middle, he's got range.”
Starks was a second-team All-American last season, leading the Bulldogs in tackles. It was another big draft day for the Georgia defense. Edge rushers Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker went earlier in the first round.
“Experienced guys from winning programs," DeCosta said. "That’s something that we definitely look for.”
With Baltimore picking near the end of the first round, it was a lengthy wait for the Ravens — and for Starks.
“I was sitting on the couch about to play Uno. It's been a long night, so I was just trying to stay calm through the whole thing," Starks said. "I heard the phone ring and I knew I was a Raven.”
The Ravens have been pretty consistent in recent years. Since 2021, they've used their top draft pick on either a wide receiver or a defensive back. And all those players are still contributing to the organization — Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers at receiver, plus Hamilton and Wiggins in the secondary.
“In my experience, if you're going to lose a game, an easy way to lose it is by having a bad secondary. We never want to be in that position. That's a bad place to be,” DeCosta said. “And John was a secondary coach in Philly for a while too. He understands the importance of it as well.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Noah Trister, The Associated Press
