FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL Draft scouting reports before the Combine in March. Here’s a look at Georgia defensive back Malaki Starks. And check out our entire 2025 NFL Draft Guide.
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2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Malaki Starks
Malaki Stars (DB – Georgia)
6-foot-1 | 205 Pounds
Background
Malaki Starks is a Georgia native and former five-star recruit who has been starting for the Georgia Bulldogs since his true freshman season, a year in which he posted 68 tackles, two interceptions and seven breakups. He earned All-American honors the following year with 52 tackles, three interceptions and seven breakups. Starks posted 77 tackles, one interception and three breakups this past year.
Positives
A highly productive three-year starter for a premier program. Well-built safety who was asked to do a bit of everything; roughly half of his snaps come as a high safety (typically in two-high looks), with the rest pretty evenly split between the slot and the box. As a box safety, Starks reads keys quickly when playing the run and takes sound angles in pursuit commensurate with his role as the last line of defense.
Starks Looks fast working downhill, with nice closing speed; rangy player with a good motor in pursuit. Plays the game with an element of physicality and has been a highly reliable tackler in each season with the Bulldogs. Shows clean backpedals with nice balance and quick feet when spot-dropping. Was also asked to play some snaps as a single-high safety. Has the type of awareness/recognition skills teams look for there, with loose hips and clean transitions.
Shows very solid instincts to process route combinations from zones. Can recognize screens developing quickly. Ability to drop down into the slot and play press-man against both receivers and tight ends, showing the skills to stick with in-breaking releases. Uses his hands to stay connected and provide fairly tight coverage through the stem. Shows impressive speed to carry opponents down the sidelines. Does a nice job of getting his head around to locate when working from man coverage.
Negatives
Typically not used as a single-high safety, Starks didn’t play a ton of Cover 2; more often played out of a robber role to drive on any routes over the middle of the field. Starks’ range for the high safety role is solid but not elite.
Can occasionally get pulled up by play fakes when working out of the box. Relies to some extent on anticipation and hand use to stay connected in man coverage, as he doesn’t have elite recovery speed if he allows separation at the stem. Starks didn’t have quite the same on-ball production this year as he did during his sophomore campaign.
Summary
A three-year starter who’s offered highly consistent play over the past three years for one of college football’s top programs. Having shown an ability to handle virtually any responsibility, whether high zone, robber work, downhill run defense from the box or man coverage from the slot, Starks profiles as one of the safest picks in this year’s class.
Starks should be able to step right in as a starter for any scheme and looks likely to come off the board within the first dozen picks or so.
Projection: Round 1
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