By: Alf Colmenar Bucs Report Special to Sports Talk Florida
he 2025 NFL Draft is getting closer, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be looking for a high-impact reinforcement for their secondary. In this installment of “Alf’s Buccaneers Eye on the Draft”, we analyze Georgia Safety Malaki Starks. Starks would be a phenomenal fit for the Pewter Pirates defense.
Who is Malaki Starks?
Since stepping onto Georgia’s campus, Malaki Starks has been a true playmaker. A starter since his freshman year and a key part of one of the nation’s best defenses, he was named First-Team All-America in 2023. At 6’1″ and sporting feline mobility, he’s the prototype of a modern safety capable of playing all three defensive levels.
His versatility allows him to line up as a single-high safety, a nickel safety, or even near the box. His technique, game awareness, and range make him an ideal tactical weapon for creative defenses like Todd Bowles’s.
Malaki Starks’ Strengths
- Athletics and quick change of direction
- High defensive intelligence
- Ball skills and lateral range
- Positional versatility (slot, deep, nickel)
- Man and zone coverage capacity
- Consistency in technique and execution
In deep coverage, his ability to read the QB, rotate his hips, and attack the ball make him a real threat to create turnovers. And from deep, he diagnoses the run well and drops down decisively to stop the ball carrier.
What does Malaki Starks need to improve?
His physique can raise questions: he’s not a great hitter , and although he’s a reliable tackler, he’s not the kind of strong safety who imposes physically. He can also take too many risks looking for the big play, and fall into tricks like double moves or combination routes.
His durability could be a slight concern, though nothing that will worry scouts if he continues his consistent production.
Would Malaki Starks be a good fit for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
Malaki Starks on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be a spectacular pick if the team is looking to complement Antoine Winfield Jr. . Bowles needs versatility, discipline, and the ability to cover from a variety of defensive alignments, and Starks offers it all.
Plus, with Todd Bowles looking to generate more big plays on defense, a profile like Starks’s, with the ability to generate interceptions and react to plays in the open field, would be a perfect fit as a hybrid safety/corner in Nickel and Dime packages.
NFL Comparison: Jessie Bates III
Like Bates, Starks stands out for his intelligence, coverage ability, and range in the open field . Both play with patience, read routes, and attack the ball decisively.
Conclusion: Is Malaki Starks a real option for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
Without a doubt. If the Bucs are looking to bolster their secondary with a cerebral, technically savvy player with elite range, Malaki Starks of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be a high-value pick. He’s ready to start from day one and become a key part of the defense for years to come.
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