Bucs Nation
Might the Bucs search for Antoine Winfield, Jr.’s running mate?
The Buccaneers endured crippling injuries throughout their entire secondary in 2024, which both exposed lack of depth and created an open starting spot once again.
Jordan Whitehead returned on a 2-year deal but played ineffectively and then sustained serious injuries in a car accident, which led to his release and unlikely return. While it’s sad to see him go (again), the Bucs will be on a lookout for another partner for Antoine Winfield, Jr., who will hope to rebound after struggling through several ailments of his own.
If the Bucs consider a secondary upgrade crucial enough to spend a first-rounder in the 2025 NFL Draft, Malaki Starks will likely top the list as a prospect. Let’s dig more into the talented playmaker from the University of Georgia.
Starks began his collegiate career as one of the most highly touted prospects in the nation.
A consensus 5-star recruit and top-15 prospect nationally in 2022, Starks fielded offers from several P5 programs but settled on his local Georgia Bulldogs. He rifled onto the scene immediately by starting as a true freshman on a National Championship-winning squad, totaling 68 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 7 pass breakups.
His sophomore year saw him ascend to greater heights by earning consensus first-team All-American and All-SEC honors, as well as finishing as a finalist for both the Bronko Nagurski and Jim Thorpe awards. He recorded 52 tackles, 3 interceptions, 7 pass breakups.
Starks saw a slight regression in 2024 with more uneven play, recording lows in interceptions (1) and PBUs (3) but still managed to lead the team in tackles (77) and make second-team All-American and All-SEC before declaring early for the NFL Draft.
Starks, who measured at 6-foot-1 and 197 pounds, produced a mixed bag of results at both the NFL Scouting Combine and his Georgia Pro Day on March 12.
The combine saw him tally some really strong speed numbers, with a great 40 time (4.5 flat) and 10-yard split (1.56). These were cemented with his measured MPH in the on-field drills, which all ranked first among attendees for defensive backs.
However, Starks produced poor agility testing (7.26 3-cone and 4.45 short shuttle) and a bad vertical jump result (just 33”), which could be concerning. His lateral stiffness does show up on tape with struggles to stay connected in man coverage.
That said, the straight-line speed will play at the pro level and he’s very intelligent and skilled at the nuances of the safety position, which came through in drills he did at the Combine and Pro Day that received widespread acclaim.
The Bucs typically shy away from non-elite athletes in the first round, so that could compromise Starks’ chances of ending up in Tampa, but he’s not terribly worse in RAS than Winfield Jr., who recorded a 7.81 (just “good”) with the benefit of no agility testing,
