The Baltimore Ravens hope Malaki Starks give them the best pair of safeties in the NFL; so far, so good. Via Jeff Zrebiec, the rookie first-round pick has impressed the coaching staff a lot, and should waste no time playing. Indeed, he predicts the rookie will pair with Kyle Hamilton very well. Almost undoubtedly the best in the AFC North, especially after the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade.
“Starks has wowed team officials with his leadership qualities, work ethic and intelligence. They believe he’ll be an impact player immediately”, Zrebiec wrote for The Athletic. This was a blurb from an article about where he Ravens improved or worsened since last season. Of course, when you use a first-round pick at a position, you anticipate improvement.
The Ravens have struggled at safety recently, however, at least in terms of pairing with Hamilton. Geno Stone briefly flashed, but parted in free agency. They spent big on Marcus Williams, but he proved to be a failed experiment While they believe Malaki Starks still step right in, they have to find depth, however.
That is because veteran Ravens S Ar’Darius Washington tore his Achilles. He should miss the majority of the season, if not all of it. Zrebiec writes, however, that Sanoussi Kane looks capable of stepping into that role. And the hope is with Hamilton and Starks, they won’t have to worry about depth, anyway.
Kyle Hamilton is a two-time All-Pro through three seasons for the Ravens. Although he didn’t author as many splash plays last season, he recorded over 100 tackles with an interception, nine passes defensed, and two forced fumbles. If they can find him a stable partner in Malaki Starks, it will only empower his ability to make plays.
The Ravens, of course, drafted Starks to make plays, as well. In three seasons at Georgia, he recorded six interceptions with six tackles for loss. And if he is playing in a stable secondary with the likes of Kyle Hamilton and Marlon Humphrey, he might be free to make even more plays.
Notably, the Steelers showed pre-draft interest in safeties, and one wonders if that was an indication if their consideration about moving Fitzpatrick. They didn’t pull the trigger on that until months later, but they likely discussed it then. They spent time with Malaki Starks at Georgia’s Pro Day, but passed on him for DL Derrick Harmon. As has often been the case, the Ravens happily scooped up the best available defensive back.
“If Starks is as good as the Ravens think he is, they’ll have significantly improved at this position”, Zrebiac writes. “It won’t take much to improve the safety play from the first half of last season”.
Last season, Baltimore ranked 31s in passing yards allowed, 19th in passing touchdowns allowed, and 17th in interceptions. Granted, the Ravens also ranked 30th in pass attempts faced, but Malaki Starks can help improve those numbers. At least, they think he can, and right away, based on what he has shown so far.
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