BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Ravens just closed the book on a 2025 season that felt more like a nightmare than a campaign. A disastrous 1-5 start, a league-high 177 points surrendered in the first five weeks, and a gut-wrenching 26-24 Week 18 loss to the Steelers ultimately cost John Harbaugh his job after 18 years. But amidst the wreckage of an 8-9 season, one purple-and-black jersey flashed enough potential to keep the Charm City faithful hopeful: safety Malaki Starks.
Starks, the 27th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, didn’t just participate as a rookie; he survived a baptism by fire. Thrust into the starting lineup after Ar’Darius Washington’s offseason injury, the Georgia product logged a massive 1,060 defensive snaps. He finished the year with 84 total tackles, four pass deflections, and two interceptions. While the team sputtered, Starks proved he belonged in the conversation with the league’s rising stars.
The PFF Verdict: A Run-Stopping Specialist
Analytical gurus at Pro Football Focus (PFF) have already circled Starks as the premier breakout candidate for Baltimore in 2026. Despite the defensive unit’s overall struggles, Starks managed a solid 68.9 PFF overall grade. His most impressive trait? Run support. Starks posted a 79.9 run-defense grade, a top-20 mark among all qualified safeties in the NFL.
The mid-season acquisition of Alohi Gilman from the Los Angeles Chargers—a move that sent Odafe Oweh to the West Coast—provided much-needed stability. Gilman’s arrival allowed the Ravens to move Kyle Hamilton around the formation, while Starks anchored the deep third. Hamilton still managed a 105-tackle season, but the duo’s chemistry is what new head coach Jesse Minter plans to build around. Minter, known for his creative secondary packages, inherited a secondary that has the raw materials to be elite once again.
“I’m not here to just put up stats while we lose games. Last year hurt. The Week 18 loss in Pittsburgh is going to burn all offseason. But we have the pieces here, and I’m just scratching the surface of what I can do in this system.”
— Malaki Starks, Baltimore Ravens Safety
New Leadership, New Ceiling
The coaching shift from Harbaugh to Jesse Minter signals a hard reset for the Ravens’ identity. Minter’s defense at the college level and his time under Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles suggests a more aggressive, disguise-heavy approach. For a player with Starks’ range and tackling ability, this is the perfect environment for a Year 2 leap.
With pending free agents like Alohi Gilman and Ar’Darius Washington looming, the Ravens’ front office has a clear priority: solidify the back end. If Starks can translate his elite run-stopping metrics into better coverage consistency—he allowed 26 receptions in 2025—he won’t just be a “breakout candidate.” He’ll be a Pro Bowler. The Ravens are betting their 2026 playoff hopes on it.
