Malaki Starks Raises Expectations After Adding Muscle at OTAs

Overview

• Starks led the Ravens in snaps as a rookie and finished 2025 with 84 tackles, two interceptions, and four passes defended, establishing the baseline he says fell short of his own standard.
• He arrived at Organized Team Activities heavier and stronger at roughly 214 pounds and said he expects to play at a higher level after a full year of NFL experience.
• New head coach Jesse Minter is expected to use frequent three-safety alignments, which could put Starks on the field alongside All-Pro Kyle Hamilton and newly acquired Jaylinn Hawkins and create more opportunities for playmaking.
• Teammates and team reports highlight Starks’s leadership and extra work—he organized rookie walkthroughs and often stays late at practice—which the player credits for his growth and comfort entering Year Two.
• If Starks combines added strength, on-field reps in Minter’s scheme, and his Georgia ball-hawking background, pundits predict a possible breakout that could change the Ravens’ defensive looks and increase turnovers.