The hope was that the Ravens would secure a top pass rusher on the first day of the draft.

That didn’t happen, but they did get better on defense.

They still might be able draft a talented pass rusher on Day 2, but it appears more likely that the team will have to sign another veteran free agent. Instead, on Thursday night, the Ravens selected Georgia safety Malaki Starks with the No. 27 overall pick in the first round.

Together with Kyle Hamilton and Ar’Darius Washington, the Ravens will have one of the best safety tandems (or trios) in the NFL.

You could see Starks eventually falling to the Ravens as the draft unfolded. Penn State’s Abdul Carter went to the New York Giants with the No. 3 overall pick and San Francisco selected Georgia’s Mykel Williams at No. 11. The Bulldogs’ Jalon Walker, another top pass rusher, went to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 15 and the Cincinnati Bengals took Texas A&M’s Shermar Stewart three picks later.

Once Pittsburgh chose Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon at No. 21 over Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and the Falcons traded with the Los Angeles Rams at No. 26 to snatch up Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr., there weren’t many pass rushers left.

So, the Ravens made out well with Starks. It happens, especially when a team wins as often and goes to the playoffs as consistently as the Ravens. They always end up picking near the end of the first round. Plus, the Ravens are pretty boring in the draft.

They aren’t creative and they aren’t bold.

They just stockpile picks, but Starks will make this defense better.

Last season, the Ravens’ pass defense was ranked 27th, allowing 238.3 yards a game.

The 6-foot-1, 197-pound Starks led the Bulldogs in tackles in 2024 with 77, including four for losses.

He also knocked down four passes and had an interception.