Ravens DB Projected to Have Breakout 2026 Season

Even with a late first-round pick at No. 27 overall in 2025, the Baltimore Ravens were hoping to get some strong production out of Malaki Starks during his rookie year.

It's safe to say that Starks certainly lived up to expectations and more with his play in the secondary, which had injuries all around. He started 15 of the 17 games he played in, racking up 84 tackles, four pass deflections, two interceptions, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hit.

Despite not getting any rookie accolades at the end of the season for his play, he made his mark on the Ravens' defense and in the NFL with his play. What Ravens fans are looking forward to seeing is how he progresses from Year 1 to Year 2 in Baltimore.

Malaki Starks is primed for breakout performance in 2026

Pro Football Focus writer Dalton Wasserman shared his list of one early breakout candidate for the 2026 season from each team, and Starks was his choice for the Ravens.

Baltimore Ravens safety Malaki Starks | Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images

"Starks served as a respectable understudy to veterans Kyle Hamilton and Alohi Gilman in Baltimore’s secondary this season. He earned a solid 68.9 PFF overall grade across more than 1,000 snaps in his rookie season. Starks’ 79.9 PFF run-defense grade was a top-20 mark among qualified safeties, and he should continue to improve in coverage with more experience."

The safety position is going to be an interesting one for Ravens fans to monitor in the offseason with some key players potentially departing. Alohi Gilman and Ar'Darius Washington are set to hit the free agent market, which could leave Baltimore with some big decisions to make at the position.

Kyle Hamilton has been playing a hybrid, safety-linebacker role in the Ravens' defense, but with new head coach Jesse Minter running the show, how does he want to use Hamilton? That should still leave Starks to be one of the other starting safeties for the Ravens going into the 2026 campaign.

There will be more pressure on Starks in his second season to step up and improve on his performance in 2025. He should reassure the Ravens fan base that he can play coverage and hit just as well as other great safeties have in his position.

Whether his role is going to change in Minter's defense is going to be one question that won't be answered until the first game occurs, but Starks seems like a future star in the NFL as long as he keeps doing what has made him good for Baltimore.

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