Ravens All Pro Has High Praise for Malaki Starks

Although it only took three seasons for Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton to become widely regarded as the best player at his position in the entire NFL, he was far from an instant sensation as a rookie.

Following his unexpected fall to No. 14 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, the former All-American who was the top consensus safety prospect coming out of Notre Dame had high expectations heading into his first season.

Despite not being a Day 1 starter, Hamilton still struggled to find his footing in a rational role to open the year but after transitioning into a hybrid slot role, he blossomed down the stretch and went onto breakout in 2023 and has been voted to the Pro Bowl and selected to All Pro teams in each of the past two years.

Heading into his fourth season, Hamilton has a new PIC (Partner In Coverage) who will be lining up next to and playing off of him after the Ravens had the top consensus safety prospect fall into their laps again when they took former Georgia star Malaki Starks at No. 27 overall.

The two have been tied at the hip when they've been at the team facility, working to build a strong rapport on and off the field, so they can get on the same page sooner rather than later. This would help them avoid being prone to the same type of miscommunication-related coverage busts that plagued their pass defense in the first halves of the 2022 and 2024 seasons before flipping the script down the stretch both years.

Reviews on how Starks is assimilating and conducting himself since arriving have been glowing, both within the media and among the team and coaching staff. On Friday, Hamilton became the latest to exclaim his praises and rave about how much more advanced the rookie is compared to him coming into the league.

"He's super talented," Hamilton said. "I honestly think he's miles ahead of where I was at that point in his NFL career... Once it all clicks for him, he's going to be one of the best in the league. I'm confident in saying that, and also, just for myself, just keeping everything tight and making sure that – whether that's zone [coverage or] man-to-man [coverage], trying to do stuff after practice."

Hamilton claims that Starks has picked up the playbook faster than he did as a rookie, which allows him to look both comfortable and confident. He is also impressed with his communication skills and "willingness to learn", both of which are vital traits to the success and overall cohesion of the secondary.

"He does amazing stuff without even trying and probably doesn't even know that he is doing it, but he's just so instinctual, and he has that little bit holding him back, just because he hasn't been in [the NFL for] a long time," Hamilton said. "Once that clicks, then he'll be a great player."

Starks took the podium to address the press shortly after Hamilton, the same day, and was flattered by his words and returned the favor. He heaped high praise on his new running mate in the backend, commending him for his high football IQ and how much of a sponge he is whenever they're around each other.

“@kyledhamilton_’s on that top level... He’s so smart.” @starks_malaki pic.twitter.com/0JJXl2WLvB
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 25, 2025

"He's so smart," Starks said. "You think you know football until you get around people who know football, and then you realize you don't know that much about football, but you do, though. Really just being able to learn from him I think has been huge, and for me to be out there with him, it's awesome."

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