One has to understand why the current Baltimore Ravens climate is both intriguing and exciting. We don’t often get to talk about a new staff member and the need to hire so many assistants. Sure, John Harbaugh had to swap names on his staff several times, but we haven’t had to discuss anything this significant since the 2008 NFL offseason.
One thing we know is this. Once the coaching lineup is known and ready to work, there are plenty of talented players to work with. This team isn’t lacking studs, and one of the youngsters recently earned a nice mention from Pro Football Focus as someone they’re monitoring.
PFF expects Malaki Starks to emerge as a potential 2026 breakout candidate.
Most are in one of two camps when it comes to Pro Football Focus. Some put a lot of stock in their statistical engine and ratings system. Others, not so much. Recently, they named a list of 32 potential breakout candidates, one from every NFL team.
Malaki Starks, fresh off his rookie season, earns the nod as the mentioned Raven. Dalton Wasserman, the writer of this one, mentions the following.
“Starks served as a respectable understudy to veterans Kyle Hamilton and Alohi Gilman in Baltimore’s secondary this season. He earned a solid 68.9 PFF overall grade across more than 1,000 snaps in his rookie season. Starks’ 79.9 PFF run-defense grade was a top-20 mark among qualified safeties, and he should continue to improve in coverage with more experience.”
It’s easy to agree with that. This season, Starks, the 2025 NFL Draft’s 27th overall selection, started 15 of his 17 in-game appearances. He logged 84 tackles, two interceptions, and four pass breakups. Baltimore is reportedly hiring Notre Dame DBs coach Mike Mickens. He is now charged with taking Starks and the rest of the Ravens‘ secondary to the next level. Stay tuned.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens safety Malaki Starks lands on PFF’s 2026 breakout list