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Confidence is soaring for Jesse Minter's Baltimore Ravens. There's a new energy at the Under Armour Performance Center, so much so that Lamar Jackson is uncharacteristically showing up at voluntary practice sessions.
New faces are making their impressions felt. So are many of the returning stars and standouts. Recently, Ravens Wire made the case that fans shouldn’t fear a sophomore slump from Malaki Starks. Apparently, Starks agrees with the theory. Or, perhaps more accurately, he’d probably argue there wasn’t enough success in Year 1 to justify any fear of regression in the first place.
Speaking recently with Clifton Brown of Baltimore’s official team website, the second-year safety offered some revealing insight into how he views his rookie campaign. His answer about personal expectations sounded exactly like what coaches hope to hear from a talented young player entering a pivotal second season.
That should excite Ravens fans. That’s not arrogance. That’s accountability, and frankly, it’s hard not to love that mindset when discussing a player who already posted 84 tackles, two interceptions, and four pass breakups during a rookie campaign that, in some ways, he views as a season that doesn't represent the type of production he plans on adding.
As a rookie, he played 1,065 defensive snaps and another 145 on special teams. That equates to 94% and 32% of the team's overall total for both units respectively. Most players would be thrilled with that debut. Starks sounds annoyed by it. That tells you something. Starks also revealed he has added noticeable strength this offseason.
All the nuggets are encouraging. Baltimore isn’t hoping Starks simply repeats what he did as a rookie. The expectation is growth, and if his mindset reflects the broader culture inside the building, there’s plenty of reason for optimism.
Starks told Brown during their conversation that newly-acquired Jaylinn Hawkins is a great safety and that he's "learning so much from him already." Lamar Jackson's presence says something about the tone being set. So does Starks refusing to pat himself on the back.
No one can guarantee what the first year of the Jesse Minter era will look like, but if Baltimore’s young stars already think 'good' isn’t good enough, the Ravens may be exactly where they need to be. There couldn't be any better news being reported about this team with the summer season on the horizon.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Malaki Starks sets his personal goals even higher for Ravens in 2026
Continue reading...
New faces are making their impressions felt. So are many of the returning stars and standouts. Recently, Ravens Wire made the case that fans shouldn’t fear a sophomore slump from Malaki Starks. Apparently, Starks agrees with the theory. Or, perhaps more accurately, he’d probably argue there wasn’t enough success in Year 1 to justify any fear of regression in the first place.
Malaki Starks is saying all of the right things at OTAs
Speaking recently with Clifton Brown of Baltimore’s official team website, the second-year safety offered some revealing insight into how he views his rookie campaign. His answer about personal expectations sounded exactly like what coaches hope to hear from a talented young player entering a pivotal second season.
That should excite Ravens fans. That’s not arrogance. That’s accountability, and frankly, it’s hard not to love that mindset when discussing a player who already posted 84 tackles, two interceptions, and four pass breakups during a rookie campaign that, in some ways, he views as a season that doesn't represent the type of production he plans on adding.
As a rookie, he played 1,065 defensive snaps and another 145 on special teams. That equates to 94% and 32% of the team's overall total for both units respectively. Most players would be thrilled with that debut. Starks sounds annoyed by it. That tells you something. Starks also revealed he has added noticeable strength this offseason.
All the nuggets are encouraging. Baltimore isn’t hoping Starks simply repeats what he did as a rookie. The expectation is growth, and if his mindset reflects the broader culture inside the building, there’s plenty of reason for optimism.
Starks told Brown during their conversation that newly-acquired Jaylinn Hawkins is a great safety and that he's "learning so much from him already." Lamar Jackson's presence says something about the tone being set. So does Starks refusing to pat himself on the back.
No one can guarantee what the first year of the Jesse Minter era will look like, but if Baltimore’s young stars already think 'good' isn’t good enough, the Ravens may be exactly where they need to be. There couldn't be any better news being reported about this team with the summer season on the horizon.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Malaki Starks sets his personal goals even higher for Ravens in 2026
Continue reading...
