The top Day 1 target for the Philadelphia Eagles might be the worst kept secret of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Especially after Philly’s latest reported top-30 visit.
Per Eagles reporter Elliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com, the team recently used one of its allotted meetings on Georgia Bulldogs safety Malaki Starks, a prospect who should check off just about every box for GM Howie Roseman.
Philadelphia has accumulated a ton of Bulldogs products over the years, specifically on defense, and Starks would have a path to immediate playing time after the team's decision to trade C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans this offseason.
The Eagles hold the No. 32 overall pick in this month’s draft, and Shorr-Parks believes the team “would likely need to trade up but they have a ton of interest in Starks.”
The Eagles used a Top 30 visit on Georgia safety Malaki Starks, per league source
Eagles would likely need to trade up but they have a ton of interest in Starks @SportsRadioWIP @AfternoonsWIP pic.twitter.com/6tvfptcNNq— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) April 14, 2025
Starks is the 22nd of Philly’s reported visits, per Eagles insider Anthony DiBona. The team has met with a number of offensive linemen and EDGE prospects as well, but landing a player with Starks’ positional versatility would be a major win on Day 1 of the draft. He lined up everywhere from free safety, to up in the box, to slot cornerback with Georgia, earning high grades from PFF both in coverage (72.1) and run defense (85.6). Starks would be an interesting chess piece for Vic Fangio’s defense, which also includes young stars Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the secondary.
The Eagles only hold three top-100 selections for this draft, but they do have four picks in the middle of the fifth round. Roseman could look to package some of those picks in a move up the board, and if Starks slides into the mid-20s — the Minnesota Vikings, at pick No. 24 overall, could be a potential trade candidate due to their poor overall draft capital — Philly will be a team to keep an eye on.
