NFL Network Mocks Georgia S Malaki Starks to Broncos at No. 20 Overall

The Denver Broncos might not draft offense in Round 1 if some of the latest offseason buzz holds true.
Oct 12, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Malaki Starks (24) on the field against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium.
Oct 12, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Malaki Starks (24) on the field against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
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The NFL draft is still months away, but mock draft season is in full swing.

While a large portion of Denver Broncos fans are laser-focused on a running back like Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty or a tight end like Penn State’s Tyler Warren or Michigan’s Colston Loveland, the Broncos could go any number of directions with the No. 20 overall selection come April (assuming they stay at 20).

The Broncos' immediate needs include running back, tight end, and linebacker. However, simply taking the best player at one of those specific positions is not how the draft works.

This is especially true the further one gets down the board from the first overall pick. The Broncos will have plenty of viable options to select from, and mock drafts will vary wildly.

NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks has the Broncos addressing the defensive side of the ball with his first mock of the 2025 cycle. With Jeanty, Warren, and Loveland all already gone in this mock, Brooks selected Georgia safety Malaki Starks to add more athleticism, versatility, and playmaking to a Broncos safety group that could certainly add a potential difference-maker to the unit.

"Giving Vance Joseph another high-IQ defender would help the Broncos' defense sustain its impressive level of play. Starks' instincts, awareness and toughness make him an ideal fit in a 'see ball, get ball' scheme," Brooks wrote.

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Starks entered the season as one of the highly regarded “premier” players in the 2025 draft class. However, after a somewhat letdown season compared to the preseason expectations, he seems to be slipping into the range where he's a feasible possibility for the Broncos.

Regarded as a high character player for the Georgia defense, Starks shows tenacity coming downhill as a tackler with instincts and speed in coverage to close space and make plays on the football. Starks is a good enough athlete at safety that he has the ability to drop down and matchup in man coverage in the box, the slot, and even some from the boundary.

The athleticism to play split safety or single-high on the back end would allow far more multiplicity in Denver’s coverage calls compared to this past season, where P.J. Locke, who played admirably, didn’t have the juice to be fully trusted in man or deep safety looks without leaving the back of the unit vulnerable to the big play.

Starks likely falls in the draft mainly because the safety position is exceedingly devalued in today’s NFL. With teams playing lighter boxes and more bodies in coverage to prevent big plays, the area safeties tend to be responsible for has shrunk.

However, there's no positional value on a star player and if the Broncos believe Starks can be that kind of impact safety, they should not hesitate to select him despite other needs and the devaluation of the position in the league.

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Nick Kendell
NICK KENDELL

Nick Kendell is a Senior Analyst at Mile High Huddle and has covered the Denver Broncos, NFL, and NFL Draft since 2017. He has covered the NFL Scouting Combine on-site, along with college pro days. Nick co-hosts the popular podcast Broncos For Breakfast and Building the Broncos.