Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Malaki Starks on the field against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Malaki Starks Fired Up to Join Ravens

Originally posted on Baltimore Ravens on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Apr 25, 2025 12:15 AM ET

For many NFL players, the feeling of walking across the stage on draft night is unlike anything they've experienced until that point. It certainly was for new Baltimore Ravens safety Malaki Starks.

The Ravens selected Starks at No. 27 overall in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night, but even long before that, it seemed like a match made in heaven. He was one of the most popular picks for Baltimore in mock drafts, he fills a major need for the team, and he's a strong character guy who can become a leader in the locker room before long.

The Ravens are very excited to have Starks, and the feeling is clearly mutual. The former first-team All-American was visibly fired up in his interview immediately after walking across the stage.

"I'm ready to go to work!!"

: ESPN, ABC, NFL Network. pic.twitter.com/CfmrP1BVGa
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) April 25, 2025

"It's been a long week, and just being able to kind of meet him [NFL commissioner Roger Goodell] and just kind of watch him since I was a kid and be up there with him," Starks told ESPN. "I've been waiting for a long time back there and I'm ready to go to work."

Starks joins a secondary loaded with first-round talent, as safety Kyle Hamilton and cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins are all former Day 1 picks. He should be an immediate contributor alongside Hamilton and Ar'Darius Washington, and seems to be a tremendous fit for Zach Orr's defense.

If all goes according to plan, this will be only the start of a long and productive career in Baltimore.

"As we look back at our very best players, they are wired a certain way," general manager Eric DeCosta told reporters after the draft. "Throughout the process, Malaki is a guy who passed every single test."

This article first appeared on Baltimore Ravens on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: