In 2023, he was a first-team Associated Press All-American and finalist for the Bronko Nagurski (top defender) and Jim Thorpe (top defensive back) Awards after registering 52 tackles and posting three interceptions.

The Ravens like versatility in the secondary because it allows them to use multiple looks. With Starks and possibly Washington on the backend, that would free the Ravens to put Hamilton back near the line of scrimmage.

“Yes, when you look at the defense, I mean a lot of the guys are versatile,” Starks said Thursday night. “I think that’s a huge strength that they have. I think that’s why they do so well on the defensive side of the ball. They have a lot of guys that can move around and be in different spots that produce at a high level, and I feel like I bring that as well. I think I’m a safety that can move around, so I feel comfortable at the safety spot, but I feel comfortable playing anywhere.”

Near the line of scrimmage is where Hamilton is a playmaker. He has good hands, can rush the passer and is clearly a mismatch with most running backs who have to block him. A quarterback always has to account for him whenever he is near the defensive front seven.

Combined with Starks, the Ravens have an abundance of athleticism. The rookie ran the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis and had a vertical leap of 33 inches.

Plus, the Ravens got some inside information on Starks from offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who was Georgia’s offensive coordinator before taking the same position with the Ravens two years ago.

The Ravens were fortunate. Once the Bengals chose Stewart and Pittsburgh selected Harmon, there was only one big-time pass rusher left on the board in Pearce, who had reported character issues coming out of Tennessee.

But that didn’t stop the Falcons from taking a gamble on him. Atlanta probably had belief that the Ravens were going to make a move on Pearce, and the Falcons were aggressive. It came at steep cost, though, as Atlanta sent the Rams pick Nos. 46 (second) and 242 (seventh) this year, plus their first-round pick in 2026, for Nos. 26 and 101 (third).

It will be interesting to see how much Starks can help the Ravens. Outside linebackers Odafe Oweh and Kyle Van Noy were successful against most teams, but were no-shows against opponents that had strong offensive lines, such as Philadelphia and Buffalo.

The Ravens return most of their outside linebackers from a year ago in Tavius Robinson, David Ojabo, Adisa Isaac and Malik Hamm, but they only combined for 5 1/2 sacks a year ago.

Pearce had 19 1/2 sacks in three seasons with the Volunteers, including 17 1/2 over the past two years. He also had 28 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles during that time.

At 6-5 and 245 pounds, he ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, and it seemed as if he would be a great matchup with Chuck Smith, the Ravens’ pass rushing coach. He would be an ideal fit for a team that just couldn’t get consistent pressure in big games.

But once Atlanta traded with the Rams, it was time to go back to reality, and that was Starks.

And on Thursday night, that worked well for the Ravens, at least for the time being.

Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston @baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun.