Where will Malaki Starks get drafted? Projecting best fit for Georgia safety

Malaki Starks excelled at safety in his three seasons with the Georgia Bulldogs in college. He finished his final season with the team with 77 tackles in 2024. It's still unclear where Starks will end up in the 2025 NFL Draft, but many analysts consider him to be the best safety prospect available this year.

Several NFL mock draft predictions indicate that Starks is expected to be selected inside the first 15 picks of the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 24; however, a few mock drafts have excluded him from the first round entirely.

Going by the more popular projections and the fact that Starks is arguably the best prospect at his position in the draft, it's very likely that he will hear his name called in the middle or late on the first day of the draft.

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Malaki Starks' NFL Draft projection

Malaki Starks was one of the 14 players from Georgia who were invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in February. He can play a variety of roles in the secondary, including safety and even in the slot, making him a flexible defender and a sought-after draft candidate.

Starks' covering skills, great range as a deep safety, and defensive playmaking abilities are frequently commended. Although certain analysts point out that he still has to work on his angles and his capacity to read the run, he is also a decent run defender and an effective tackler.

The Atlanta Falcons, who currently own the No. 15 overall pick, have been frequently mentioned as a possible home for the projected first-round prospect, though it is still up in the air where Starks will eventually end up in the draft.

As a true freshman in 2022, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound defensive back solidified his position right away in Georgia's defense and eventually won a starting role. He helped the Bulldogs win a second straight national championship in a 15-0 season that year, earning him Freshman All-American honors.

After solidifying his position, Starks had an outstanding second year in 2023 and was named a consensus All-American. He was without a doubt the team's primary leader in defense in his third year, his junior year.

Malaki Starks finished his three-year career at Georgia with 197 total tackles, six tackles for loss, 17 pass breakups and six interceptions, featuring in every game throughout his three seasons with the program.

The 2025 NFL Draft will be held in Green Bay, Wisconsin, from April 24 to 26.