Though five of the last six NFL Draft classes haven’t seen safeties selected in the first round, the Georgia Bulldogs’ Malaki Starks figures to be an exception in the 2025 NFL Draft.
A two-time All-American who entered a talented Georgia starting lineup as a true freshman, Starks has an impressive résumé and tremendous tape. He has a good chance to be one of the first defenders off the board come April.
Malaki Starks’ Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’1″
- Weight: 205 pounds
- Position: Safety
- School: Georgia
- Current Year: Junior
Starks’ Scouting Report
A Jefferson, Georgia native, Starks attended Jefferson High School and starred as a football player and track and field athlete. He won the Class 4A state title in the long jump and finished with nine career interceptions on defense with 34 total offensive touchdowns in football. He was a five-star recruit and committed to stay in-state to play for Georgia.
Starks started in 14 of the 15 games he played as a true freshman in 2022. He earned freshman All-American recognition for tallying 68 tackles, two interceptions, seven pass deflections, and two tackles for loss. He ended up playing a key role in the Bulldogs’ national championship campaign.
Heading into the 2023 season, expectations were high for Starks. Needless to say, he managed to build off of his stellar freshman year. He was named a consensus All-American as a true sophomore, finishing the season with 52 tackles, three interceptions, and seven pass deflections. He also earned first-team All-SEC recognition.
As the 2024 season approached, Starks generated heavy NFL consideration leading up to his first season of draft eligibility. He ended the year with career-high totals with 77 tackles and four tackles for loss.
Starks also had an interception with three pass deflections, becoming a first-team All-American in the process. With one more year of college eligibility, he opted to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft instead.
Strengths
- Will be only 21 years old when his NFL rookie season starts.
- Versatile defender with 998 career deep safety reps, 536 reps in the slot, and 444 reps in the box.
- Possesses ideal size and length for the safety position.
- Ability to play all over the field speaks to his intelligence and flexibility.
- Fluid athlete with loose hips that allow him to work across his body and change direction seamlessly.
- Capable of playing in man coverage out of the slot, possessing the athleticism and route-recognition abilities to stick with slot receivers.
- Has impressive range in zone coverage due to his agility and high motor in pursuit.
- Good run defender who does a good job of wrapping up with consistent form as a tackler.
- Times his acceleration well when jumping a route and offers ideal longitudinal agility.
- Has a playmaking mentality and the aggressive mindset to consistently go for disruptive plays on the ball.
Weaknesses
- Has some instances where he’s a split second too late to get to the ball.
- Doesn’t fare well taking on blocks head-on, lacking the physicality and the refined hand usage needed to stack and shed block attempts.
- Won’t offer tremendous value as a blitzing safety because of his struggles taking on blocks.
- Can do a better job of turning his head to the ball to make a play in coverage.
- Instincts in coverage are good, but he still has instances where he looks more reactive than instinctive.
- Angles he takes in pursuit as a run defender are inconsistent and can sometimes come off as undisciplined.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Starks has many of the tools needed to be a high-level starter at the NFL level. He’s a well-built safety with a large catch radius and the versatility to play across the secondary. His intelligence allows him to thrive in various alignments, and he’s battle-tested as a three-year starter for a blue-blood program.
In coverage, Starks has the athleticism to cover a considerable amount of space and the processing skills to act quickly upon his reads. He aims to disrupt plays when the ball is thrown in his direction, and he did a good job of doing that during his time at Georgia.
As a solid tackler to add onto his abilities in coverage, Starks should project well as a true starting safety. He’ll need to be more precise in pursuit and improve how he stacks and sheds blocks closer to the line of scrimmage in order to reach his full potential, though.
Overall, Starks looks the part of a first-round pick in an era where first-round picks at the safety position aren’t incredibly common. He should eventually become an above-average starter with a Pro Bowl ceiling.
