UGA Football's Malaki Starks Might Be Having the Best NFL Combine of Anyone

ATHENS - UGA Football DB Malaki Starks might be having the best combine of any NFL prospect. 

According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Starks had the fastest top speed among safeties in five different drills - the short shuttle (15.24 mph), W drill (17.92 mph), gauntlet drill (18.39 mph), line drill (18.66 mph) and the Teryl Austin drill (18.74 mph). 

“I just want to say that I appreciate y’all for showing all of the love,” Starks said on UGA’s social media channel from Indianapolis. 

It remains to be seen what Starks’ impressive showing will mean for his draft stock after the conclusion of the day. 

ESPN’s Mel Kiper ranked Starks as the No. 31 overall prospect in the NFL Draft headed into the combine. CBS has Starks the highest of major outlets - putting him at No. 12 overall. NFL Network NFL Draft Analyst Daniel Jeremiah has Starks at No. 34 overall.

But Jeremiah said on air that Starks will be a first-round selection. 

“He's going to end up going in the first round,”Jeremiah told the audience of the former 5-star. “He can be the nerve center for your defense.”

UGA coach Kirby Smart said after Starks’ first game in Silver Britches that he could be special.

"I've been around some thumpers,” Smart said in 2022. “And I think about all those guys - the Mark Barrons, the Ha-Ha Clinton Dix, and Dom Sanders here, Lewis (Cine), Chris (Smith), and Richard (Lecounte) - he's really different than all of those guys. He's probably the one guy that, if he had to, he could go out there and play corner if he had to. He's got a coverage skill set and a speed skill set that most safeties don't have. He's a good tackler. Maybe he's not as physical as those guys in terms of knock-back tackles, but he's a good tackler. He's got good range, and he's intelligent."