ESPN Analysts Name Malaki Starks Their Favorite Pick in Entire Draft
Multiple ESPN pundits said safety Malaki Starks to the Ravens at No. 27 overall was their favorite pick in the entire draft.
"Baltimore has built much of its recent success on being strong up the middle of the defense, and Starks should be a perfect fit with that plan," Dan Graziano wrote. "The Ravens had their eye on Starks pre-draft, thinking his center-field abilities would allow them to play Kyle Hamilton closer to the line of scrimmage more often. The pair should complement each other well."
Matt Bowen wrote: "With Starks playing opposite Kyle Hamilton in the secondary, the Ravens have two interchangeable safeties to disguise coverages and change the picture post-snap," Bowen wrote. "Starks is a versatile defender with playmaking ability, capable of impacting multiple levels of the field as a rookie."
ESPN's Mina Kimes expressed a similar sentiment about why the Georgia star was the ideal pick for the Ravens.
"I love the pick for who he is as a player and what he brings, but I also love it because of what he does for Kyle Hamilton, who I think is one of the best safeties in the NFL," Kimes said.
Why Aeneas Peebles Is a Potential Draft Steal
In addition to hitting a home run with Starks on Day 1 of the draft, the Ravens also made a splash on Day 3.
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec identified Virginia Tech defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles as Baltimore's best value pick and a potential draft steal.
"[The Athletic's draft analyst Dane] Brugler had Peebles as a third- or fourth-round prospect and ranked him the 17th-best interior defensive lineman in a loaded class. The Ravens selected him in the sixth round at No. 210," Zrebiec wrote. "Peebles presumably fell because he has an unconventional body type at 6-foot, 289 pounds. However, he's a high-energy, active lineman who battles against the run and finds ways to get upfield."
Ravens Just Outside Top 10 in Draft Class Rankings
Despite getting high draft grades from a majority of pundits, the Ravens were only No. 12 in NFL.com’s Gennaro Filice ranking of all 32 draft classes.
Filice, who gave the Ravens a B, named Starks his favorite pick for the Ravens and sixth-round cornerback Roger Longerbeam his sleeper pick.
"A standout performer at the combine, both in athletic testing and positional drills, Longerbeam was beloved at Rutgers for his culture-setting attitude and play style," Filice wrote. "While he played outside corner for the Scarlet Knights, his smaller frame will likely push him inside in the NFL."
Filice noted second-round edge rusher Mike Green's potential to make an immediate impact.
"From an on-field perspective, the twitchy edge was widely viewed as a strong first-rounder," Filice wrote. "But two sexual assault allegations from his past – uncharged accusations which Green denied at the combine – complicated the evaluation. Baltimore felt comfortable taking Green at No. 59 overall, with GM Eric DeCosta insisting the Ravens did their due diligence. The Marshall product just led the FBS with 17 sacks, offering the kind of pass-rush juice that could make this selection a steal."
DeCosta Turned Down Offer From Eagles to Make First-Round Trade
DeCosta acknowledged that he received calls about trading back in the first round. We now know one of those calls came from Philadelphia Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman.
The Eagles released a behind-the-scenes look inside their war room during the first round that showed Roseman calling DeCosta about moving up from No. 32 to No. 27.
"Hey, buddy. Any interest in moving back?" Roseman asked DeCosta. "Do you want stuff this year or would you look at next year?"
DeCosta decided to stay put.
"In the end, you have to look at the excitement of actually getting some additional picks, which we do love, versus what kind of player are you going to get, potentially," DeCosta said in the press conference after selecting Starks. "And for me, maybe I'm getting older and just a little bit more conservative than I used to be, but I think looking at the quality of player that we had with Starks versus what we might have to get, it just didn't make enough sense for me. This was a guy that really checked every single box for us in a lot of different ways"
Roseman ended up sending the Kansas City Chiefs their first-round pick and a fifth-rounder (No. 164) in exchange for the 31st-overall pick.
DeCosta and Roseman did business during the 2018 draft when the Ravens traded back into the first round to select Lamar Jackson at No. 32.
