The 2025 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Malaki Starks NFL Draft Profile.
Position: Safety
School: Georgia
Size: 6-foot-1, 197 pounds
Class: Junior
2024 stats: 77 total tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 3 passes defended
Starks was a five-star recruit in the class of 2022 who stayed in-state to play for Georgia. He immediately played for Georgia, registering 68 total tackles, two interceptions and seven passes defended. His play helped the Bulldogs go undefeated and win the national championship that season. In 2023, he tallied 52 total tackles, three interceptions and seven passes defended. He aided Georgia in winning 13 games, including the Orange Bowl. For the 2024 season, Starks racked up 77 total tackles, four tackles for loss and one interception. Starks led the Georgia to an 11-win season and an appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Following the season, Starks declared for the 2025 NFL Draft. He is currently projected to be a first-round pick.
Starks is a good athlete for the safety position. He has solid speed, running a 4.5 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and that speed shows up on tape. Starks has good acceleration and agility as well. He is a premier athlete for the safety position, that sometimes looks like he is a cornerback.
His ball skills are some of the best in the class for a safety. He can track the ball in the air well and makes a good break on the ball. Starks uses his size and length well to attack the catchpoint. He can come down with the ball and is dangerous with the ball in his hands. Even if he can’t intercept the ball, he can make a play on it.
He can do a lot of different things, making him a versatile safety. Starks can handle single-high coverage, showing off his good zone coverage and range. He can also play in split-safety looks, man-to-man and in a variety of other different coverages. Starks has plenty of experience all over the field for Georgia and that will help an NFL defense trust him with a lot of different roles.
Starks can struggle to shed blocks and make an impact against the run. He can take on blocks a little bit more aggressively and shed to go make more plays on ball carriers. In addition to his trouble shedding blocks, he can also struggle to take the correct pursuit angles to the ball carrier.
In zone coverage, Starks had trouble maintaining good eye balance this past season. There were plenty of times he could lose sight of the ball or his man and then give up catches. Starks has shown good eye balance in the past and will have to remain disciplined with his eyes to make plays.
Last season, Starks gave up too many big plays in coverage. At times, Starks allowed receivers to get behind him, which resulted in big plays happening on his watch. When in deep zone coverage, Starks needs to keep receivers in front of him and limit big plays if he wants to be successful at the next level.
Projected Draft Range: First Round Pick
Draft Grade: First Round Pick
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