Malaki Starks Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
School: Georgia
Class: Junior
Position: SAF
HT: 6’0
WT: 185 lbs
Background: Malaki Starks is a homegrown safety out of Jefferson, Georgia. Starks was a 5-star and top-5 recruit in the class of 2022. As a sophomore for Jefferson High School, Starks was named 2nd Team All-State. He followed that up with two more productive seasons, resulting in a selection to the Under Armour All-American Game. Starks committed to the Bulldogs early on in the process over other SEC schools and Notre Dame.
College: Starks earned Freshman All-American honors in 2022 and was a finalist for the Freshman of the Year award. He led the Georgia team in pass breakups as a true freshman. Starks took another step in 2023 by earning All-American honors. He earned First Team honors as a junior in 2024. In both 2023 and 2024, he was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe award, which goes to the best defensive back in the country.
Strengths: Malaki Starks is a safety who is a plus defender in both pass coverage and run defense. He seeks out contact and loves to get involved in the run game. He can quickly diagnose run schemes and does not hesitate to move downhill and make a play. For a defensive back, Starks is a superb tackler. He wraps up consistently and does not often let the ball carrier out of his grasp. Starks can be seen lining up closer to the line of scrimmage as a blitzer, in the box as a linebacker, or back in his natural safety position. In pass coverage, Starks’ versatility shines through. His athletic profile is impressive as he shows elite change of direction and fluid hips to stay with receivers. Starks is a ballhawk, consistently getting his hands on the football as a lurking safety. Not only can he snag interceptions, but he forces fumbles too.
Weaknesses: The main concerns with Malaki Starks are, unfortunately, out of his control. His lack of size for someone that plays that strong safety/STAR role is something to note. In pass coverage, he shows slight hesitation in the medium areas of the field before he diagnoses the route stem. At the break of a route, Starks gives up too much separation and does not cut or turn on a dime quick enough. The injury history with Starks is also something that will be of concern. He had a fully healthy season in 2024 but did undergo shoulder surgery before the season began.
Conclusion: Malaki Starks is a playmaker that will impact a team in all phases of the game. Being able to stop the run as a defensive back is a huge plus. While being so instinctive in run defense, he is also able to make plays against the pass as well. Starks will make those big splash plays for a long time in the NFL, his instincts are unteachable.
Scheme Fit: 2 High Safety
Ideal Role: Strong Safety/STAR
Best Team Fits: NYJ, CAR, MIA
Player Comparison: Jevon Holland
Player Grade: Early Round 1 (95.1)
