Malaki Starks NFL Draft Projection: Top 3 teams that should target Georgia S

Georgia Bulldogs safety Malaki Starks will be one of the most sought-after players in the 2025 NFL draft. Starks won the national championship in 2022 and was named First-team All-SEC in 2023 and 2024, Consensus All-American in 2023 and First-team All-American in 2024.

Malaki Starks draft profile

Georgia's Malaki Starks will almost certainly be the top safety drafted in the 2025 NFL draft. Still, with teams picking higher likely prioritizing other positions, his draft position could be anywhere from top-10 to mid-20s. The last safety drafted within the top 10 was Jamal Adams eight years ago.

In Bleacher Report's scouting profile on Starks, this is what they had to say about him:

"His blend of speed, physicality and football intelligence makes him a versatile asset capable of impacting the game in multiple ways. In coverage, Starks displays outstanding athleticism and ball skills."

This versatility could serve him well in the NFL as coaches tend to love players who can comfortably play multiple roles on a defense.

See where Malaki Starks lands in Tony Pauline's 2025 NFL Mock Draft 4.0 here.

Malaki Starks NFL Draft Projection: Top 3 teams that should target Georgia S

#3 - New York Jets

The New York Jets hold the 7th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, meaning they're likely to miss out on both top quarterbacks, Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward.

This leaves them in a position to fill the space left by the outgoing Aaron Rodgers in free agency and take the 'Best Player Available' in the draft, which may well be Malaki Starks.

Adding Starks to a secondary already containing superstar Sauce Gardner could be the way new HC Aaron Glenn goes on draft day.

#2 - Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals could select Malaki Starks should he fall to them at 17th overall in the 2025 NFL draft.

The Bengals have had difficulty replacing Jessie Bates since they let him walk in free agency two years ago. Cincinnati will likely lose veteran S Vonn Bell in this upcoming free agency.

Starks has the ability to play both safety positions and will be a welcome addition to a reeling Bengals defense that needs reinforcements.

#1 - Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins hold the 13th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, and selecting Malaki Starks could be the start of the revamp of their secondary.

The Dolphins are expected to lose safeties Jevon Holland, Jordan Poyer and CB Kendall Fuller in free agency, as well as. A full safety revamp could be made a lot easier by selecting a star such as Starks.