On the first series of his NFL career, Malaki Starks had a deflected pass go off his hands in Buffalo. He didn't touch the ball for the rest of that game and the next six – no passes defensed, no interceptions.

The outside pressure for first-round picks to be instant impact players is intense in the NFL. And for a playmaker like Starks, it required some patience with himself, too.

Now the wait is paying off. The Ravens' rookie safety has interceptions in back-to-back games, including a crucial one in Sunday's 27-19 win in Minnesota.

Starks has now been the Ravens' highest-graded player via Pro Football Focus (PFF) in back-to-back games. He earned a 91 grade against the Vikings and had a 91.2 grade against the Miami Dolphins last week.

Starks is the NFL's highest-graded safety over the past two weeks, beating out Denver's Talanoa Hufanga and Buffalo's Cole Bishop.

"God forbid a rookie takes more than seven games in the NFL to get adjusted," fellow safety Kyle Hamilton quipped Sunday. "He is progressing just fine, and it's no surprise to us. You saw that in the offseason. He's 21 years old, but he acts like a 31-year-old, like he's been in it for 10 years."

Starks has played nearly every defensive snap for the Ravens so far this season. The addition of veteran Alohi Gilman to the safety mix helped with the secondary's communication and anticipation. Starks said the teammates he's playing with make it "super easy," but that's also not giving himself enough credit.

"I think I'm just really trusting myself, my preparation, and the guys around me," Starks said. "I'm just trusting them to do their job, which is allowing me to play fast and just be myself."

Starks has played noticeably more physical the past two weeks. His tackling grades the past three weeks have been among the highest of the season, and his 89.9 coverage grade versus the Vikings was his best of the year. He gave up just one catch for five yards.

"I told him after the game that he's only going to build on that," Hamilton said. "I can see it in him that he's going to get so much better, and he's going to be a problem."

Here are more takeaways from the Ravens' PFF grades and snap counts versus the Vikings:

• The Ravens held Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson to just four catches for 37 yards on 12 targets, and pretty much everyone had a hand in it. According to PFF, Nate Wiggins gave up just two catches for 22 yards on four targets, and Marlon Humphrey yielded one grab for 10 yards on three targets. Safety Alohi Gilman didn't give up a catch on two targets, including a pass breakup on the goal line, and Starks' interception came on a bomb intended for Jefferson with Wiggins also in coverage.

• The return of Chidobe Awuzie to the lineup has been crucial, as he had the defense's fifth-best grade (70.9), which tied his high mark of the season (Buffalo). Awuzie had a key fourth-down pass breakup.

• Dre'Mont Jones played 39 snaps (60%) in his Ravens debut. He had two quarterback hits and a 61 grade. According to PFF, he played 14 snaps at left outside linebacker, 13 at right outside linebacker, and 10 at left defensive end.

• Travis Jones has been the Ravens' second-highest graded defender in back-to-back games. He posted an 82.9 grade against the Vikings. Jones had one sack, three tackles, two passes defensed, and three quarterback hits.

• Fullback Patrick Ricard had his largest snap share of his three games by far, playing 37 snaps (60%). The Ravens generally leaned more on heavier personnel, with tight ends Mark Andrews (63%), Isaiah Likely (56%), and Charlie Kolar (43%) all seeing significant action. Kolar (70.8) was the Ravens' second-highest graded offensive player after making a 23-yard catch and run.

• Wide receiver Zay Flowers (four catches, 79 yards) was the Ravens' highest-graded offensive player.

• Rookie Teddye Buchanan's 77.7 grade was his best of the season by a wide margin. He had six tackles. He and Starks have played a lot of snaps as rookies, and that experience is paying off in the second half of the season.

• Hamilton had the Ravens' highest pressure grade (92.1) as he continues to shine as a blitzer in his revised role that has put him closer to the line of scrimmage. Hamilton was credited with one quarterback hit and two hurries.

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