The Ravens’ 2025 first-round pick brings a truly motivational story of rags to riches. At just 21, the Georgia safety has gone from battling homelessness in his early years to preparing for Sundays under the fluorescent lights at Owings Mills. Drafted 27th overall, he now steps into a franchise known for its defensive grit after being ranked at the top in run defense last season, holding opponents to 80.1 rushing yards per game. It is an understatement to say that John Harbaugh has sky-high expectations this season as well. NFL.com promises “big things,” for Malaki Starks, and the Flock sure believes it.
Reports suggest that Malaki Starks now carries the weight of Baltimore’s defensive hopes. The 21-year-old rookie is already turning heads in training camp. Head coach John Harbaugh made it clear that Starks will line up at safety. But the staff also wants him to soak in more of the defense to practice at multiple spots in the playbook. “He’s definitely going to be a safety, but we do present the defense in different ways, and also the idea is to help him learn the defense,” Harbaugh said via team reporter Clifton Brown. “[He is] a very, very smart player.”
Camp reports confirm that the Ravens are testing his range. He’s spending time at cornerback as well, not just safety. It’s all part of sharpening his understanding of Baltimore’s scheme. Meanwhile, he and Kyle Hamilton are developing serious chemistry. They’ve been almost inseparable at the facility, grinding to sync both mentally and physically. “He’s super talented,” Hamilton said. “I honestly think he’s miles ahead of where I was at that point in his NFL career.”
“Malaki Starks projects as a quality starter and potential franchise DB for his NFL team.”
Our Scouting Report on the newest Raven via @KyleCrabbs
Positives:
– Supreme versatility on the back end to fulfill high post, deep half, robber, slot, or second-level assignments… https://t.co/V9jY6xW4wf pic.twitter.com/cwXdyjk28o
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) April 25, 2025
That kind of chemistry is critical. The Ravens are desperate to avoid the busted coverages that plagued them in early 2022 and again in 2024. In both years, defensive lapses cost them early, before they patched it up late. This time, Harbaugh wants no late fix. The goal is a clean, dominant start.
Hamilton sees something special in Starks already. “Once it all clicks for him, he’s going to be one of the best in the league,” he said. The second-year veteran praised Starks’ fast grasp of the playbook and how “willing to learn” he is. For a young safety trying to thrive in one of the league’s most complex defenses, that willingness might be the edge. Hamilton also noted their effort to tighten up “zone [coverage or] man-to-man,” with extra reps after practice.
Despite the strong energy in the locker room, the injury bug has hit again. Harbaugh now faces the familiar challenge of juggling optimism with reality. His 53-man puzzle just got trickier as more names are being added to the injury list.
John Harbaugh is struggling with injuries on his roster
Tight end Isaiah Likely tops the Ravens’ growing injury list, with surgery looming after a small foot fracture. Head coach John Harbaugh confirmed that Likely will miss about six weeks, sidelining him for the heart of training camp. Medical experts have cast doubt on his return for the early regular season, but Harbaugh refuses to rule anything out just yet.
“We got a shot to get him back there right away early,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll see. And so that’s the good news. It was early in camp and it’s not one of those major type of deals, but it’s something. It’s multiple weeks.” Still, with recovery time uncertain and the clock ticking before Week 1, his presence in the early games remains unlikely.
The next name is WR Zay Flowers, who had missed practice on Wednesday, July 30th. Harbaugh does not expect Flowers to show up immediately due to a vague reason of “camp thing.” The details behind the injury are undisclosed. Although Flowers was not able to participate in the playoffs last season due to a knee injury he suffered in Week 8. The list does not end here.
Another not-so-seriously injured player (according to Harbaugh) is CB Jalyn Armour-Davis. “It’s one of the itis’s,” Harbaugh said. “It’s not going to be anything that’s going to keep out for a long period of time. So he’ll be fine.” Even though Armour-Davis missed the last two practices, Harbaugh is not breaking a sweat yet.
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