Ravens First-Round Pick Faces Sky High Expectations

The Baltimore Ravens' first-round pick will be heavily relied upon as a rookie.

Oct 12, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Malaki Starks (24) on the field against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Ravens thought they were making a bit of a luxury pick when they made their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. But then veteran safety Ar’Darius Washington suffered a torn Achilles this offseason that will cause him to miss most, if not all, of the 2025 season.

That has paved the way for rookie safety Malaki Starks, the No. 27 overall pick, to make a true impact in the first year of his NFL career. Matt Holder of Bleacher Report believes that is exactly what the Ravens are banking on happening, too.

"With Ar’Darius Washington tearing an Achilles, Starks has a clear and easy path to the starting lineup," Holder writes. "Part of the reason the Ravens used their first-round pick on the Georgia product is that they are thin at safety, so he doesn’t have much, if any, competition to be a Week 1 start with Washington on the mend."

Starks is only 21, but he is more than capable of rising up to the challenge. He helped lead the Georgia Bulldogs to a College Football National championship in 2022 and continued to elevate his game since, earning consensus All-American honors in 2023 and first-team All-American honors in 2024.

Starks finished his collegiate career with 198 tackles, six interceptions and 17 passes defensed from 2022-24.

However, he must now translate his play to the next level, which has proven to be no easy task. Luckily, he has already found comfort with Baltimore's coaching staff.

That paired with lining up next to arguably the NFL's best safety in Kyle Hamilton, and Starks seems to be set up for success as a rookie, which should make him one of the favorites to win this year's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

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