Baltimore Ravens safety Malaki Starks has yet to take part in his first training camp practice and he’s already dreaming of intercepting a pass from Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
Starks was asked on SportsCenter which quarterback he’s looking forward to picking off most. While he may not have been in Baltimore last season, he seemed to be well aware of which team was still on the minds of Ravens fans.
"I think I want to get Josh Allen," Starks said. "I want to get Josh Allen, it would just be fun and a really cool moment for me."
Starks was the top ranked safety prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft, and the Ravens took him off the board with their first-round pick. The Georgia product was a two-time All-American and won a national championship with the Bulldogs in 2022. He finished his collegiate career with 127 solo tackles and seven interceptions in 43 games as a starter.
Malaki Starks is looking forward to intercepting Josh Allen
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was locked in a tight race with Allen for the 2024 NFL Most Valuable Player award, but the Buffalo quarterback ultimately pulled away to take home the honor.
The Ravens then suffered a heartbreaking 27-25 loss against the Bills in the divisional round at Highmark Stadium. Although Baltimore nearly tied the game in the final seconds, Jackson’s two early turnovers proved too costly to overcome.
Unfortunately for Starks, intercepting Allen may not be as easy as it once was. The reigning MVP was picked off on just 1.2 percent of his pass attempts last season for a career-low six interceptions.
Calling out Allen didn’t go well for cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who has lost all five career games against Allen since he publicly called the Bills quarterback “trash” and “a stupid draft pick” in 2018, per USA Today. That’s not necessarily the same thing, however, as Starks’ comment was far more respectful and competitive in nature.
The Ravens are scheduled to travel to Buffalo for a rematch of their divisional round loss, but the schedule has yet to be finalized. Starks should hope the matchup comes a bit later in the season once he has his feet underneath him.
Starks will start alongside All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton, who should serve as a valuable mentor for the 21-year-old rookie. Baltimore will also field cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins on the perimeter.