Georgia Safety Malaki Starks Has First Round Traits

I watched every snap Georgia safety Malaki Starks played in during the 2023 season and he showed he has the most important qualities a safety can have.

Safety is the last line of defense and while it’s not as important as some of the other positions in the draft, having a dependable player in the secondary like this does move the meter.

I have only put one first-round grade on any safety in the past four drafts (Jalen Pitre), so for me to think this highly of Starks is saying something.

Playmaker

This is the top reason Starks found a home on my first-round 2025 NFL Draft board at this point of the process.

He showed he’s capable of making plays on the ball in pass coverage.

Having a safety who hovers around the pile and a safety who only can provide ‘damage control,’ tackles after receptions have been made downfield will get an NFL team beat.

Starks demonstrated more than that.

He’s aggressive in pass coverage and he has excellent ball instincts when the ball is in the air.

2023:

3 Interceptions

7 Passes Defended

Interesting combination

Starks is a hybrid prospect.

He has the mentality of a safety and he can cover more like a cornerback. In a pinch, Starks could double as a nickel corner (term for a third cornerback on the field who matches up against the opposition’s slot receiver).

Starks flies around the field ⎯this baller can run. He also does a nice job carrying vertical and horizontal straight-line routes.

However, when it’s time to stop somebody, opponents feel his presence.

Dependability

This is big. Starks did a good job on the game film consistently getting himself in position. He was all over the field and usually around the ball.

It was clear watching him play that the game of football is important to him. This shows when he’s providing support on pass-and-run plays. Starks has good tackling technique. He’s a solid wrapping tackler who brings it.

2023:

52 tackles (31 solo)

Number grading

On a quick scale of 1-10 (10 being elite) this is where I would rank Starks:

Speed: 9

Range: 7

Pass and Run Tackling Support: 8

Reaction time: 6

Aggressiveness: 8

Biggest concern?

You guessed it from that, ‘6,’ under the heading of ‘reaction time.’

I don’t care about the ‘one-offs,’ as an evaluator. I look for patterns and tendencies on film and with that said there were plays in these games when he was a tad slow reacting on running and pass plays (especially when there was some blatant misdirection by the offense designed to fool the defense or on quick changes of direction in small spaces). This is why he doesn’t play cornerback.

Where does this leave us for now?

The first round is all about playmakers, and Starks checks that box.

I will circle back off the 2024 film to confirm.

Because of the two glaring limitations, however, I would say at this point, he will go in the bottom half of the first round (16-32).

#24 Malaki Starks 6-foot-1, 205 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2024 Fall Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by 86.6% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of September 25, 2024 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2023 game film evaluated: UT Martin, Ball State, South Carolina, UAB, Auburn, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Florida, Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Alabama, and FSU (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Note: Off-season right shoulder surgery

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Dependable prospect with good speed. Paces himself. All out 60-70% of the time. High football IQ. Aggressive presence. Take charge type. Takes relatively good angles. Has range. Can close fast. Mixes it up with receivers. Tight straight-line coverage ability. Slight hip tightness. Flashed short area burst (UAB). Quick coming downhill. Outstanding ball instincts. Excellent at high-pointing the ball. Inconsistent getting there in time when providing help in the deep halves in coverage. Active against the run. Blitzing upside.

What to watch for during the 2024 college football season:

1. Does hesitation show up?

2. Consistent effort?

3. Pass defense stats?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.