Ravens safety Malaki Starks receives a B in an 2025 NFL draft regrade

Starks, the first safety taken last April, has a chance to be one of the best. Some of his peers got off to faster starts, but there's no reason for Ravens fans to worry.

"Safeties drafted after Starks, such as Nick Emmanwori and Xavier Watts, had better rookie seasons, but look for Starks to take a step forward under new head coach Jesse Minter, who did great work with the Chargers’ young secondary players. Under Minter’s leadership, the Chargers finished fifth in total yards and passing yards allowed per game in 2025."

The Baltimore Ravens didn't draft Malaki Starks to win a rookie-of-the-year award or a popularity contest. They drafted him to be a long-term pillar, and he will be. With Jesse Minter now overseeing the defense, the expectation isn't just steady production. It's growth, refinement, and eventually dominance. If history is any indication, Baltimore will get exactly that, and this 'B' grade may look far too modest by the time the 2026 season reaches its conclusion. Rest assured. This was a solid bang-for-buck choice, and Starks is going to be good for a long time.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Malaki Starks earns a B in Sports Illustrated's 2025 draft regrade