The Ravens may have the top safety tandem in the NFL with Kyle Hamilton and rookie Malaki Starks, who is a top defensive rookie of the year candidate. The other notable team with a great safety duo is the Detroit Lions (Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph), but besides that, Baltimore seems to have the best pair of safeties in the NFL.
Starks has already made an impression at OTAs and rookie minicamp, along with mandatory minicamp. The first-rounder from Georgia will look to turn heads at training camp in about a month as the presumed starter at free safety. Along with their recent addition of Jaire Alexander, that puts the rookie in a great position right away.
With the injury to Ar’Darius Washington, that makes the starting position next to Hamilton a bit more important, as Starks is expected to start day one as an instant impact player in Baltimore. While there might be some growing pains early, he is already living up to the high hopes the Ravens had when they took him 27th overall.
Malaki Starks, Perfect Next to Kyle Hamilton
As a former 27-overall pick, he is also predicted to win DROTY by some (like Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr), but will have some competition at the top, like the edge rusher Abdul Carter from the New York Giants. But here is what Orr had to say about Starks:
“The safety out of Georgia will run up the score with a top-five interception total in the league and flex his all-around playmaking ability in a Baltimore defense that steamrolls opponents, finishing fourth in EPA per play—a sizable jump from an 11th-place finish last season,” Orr said describing the now Ravens’ rookie safety.
Baltimore already had stout corners, but with health, you can’t have enough of them in the secondary, as they added Chidobe Awuzie plus Alexander in free agency. This is on top of having former first-rounders Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey.
Starks gives the Ravens what they were missing in the first half of 2024, where coverage busts occurred due to miscommunication and bad plays from Marcus Williams. The versatile playmaker and ball hawk has the mental football IQ to be an elite defender from the jump.
Hamilton can play closer to the line of scrimmage and in the box, while Starks can roam as their deep safety. But if needed, both could play in the nickel if Humphrey rotates in and out at outside/ slot corner. This is with Alexander and Wiggins sticking on the outside.
This gives the Ravens flexibility all across the board in their secondary to get creative with where they dial up pressure and coverage ability, making opposing offenses hard to match up one-on-one against their pass defense. Baltimore could be the next “No Fly-Zone” if healthy and has the makings of a defense that can finish the job in the AFC Championship game once and for all after coming short back-to-back seasons.
