Mel Kiper Jr. projects Colts to select ballhawking Georgia safety in latest NFL mock draft

Could the Colts select a new chess piece to anchor the backend of their secondary—with a versatile top playmaker?

According to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. (subscription), the Indianapolis Colts will select ballhawking Georgia safety Malaki Starks at Pick #14 in his latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft:

14. Indianapolis Colts

Malaki Starks, S, Georgia

This is a good fit, with an obvious need for a ball-hawking safety on the back end of the Colts’ defense. Julian Blackmon is a free agent. And Starks — who picked off six passes across three seasons — can make an instant impact.

I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Indy look at offense as it tries to maximize and evaluate the long-term prospects of quarterback Anthony Richardson in Year 3 of his career. Perhaps Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan or Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka could be the move at WR. But Starks probably makes more sense, especially because there are receiver options available in free agency.

Here, Kiper Jr. has prized Penn State tight end Tyler Warren going to the New Orleans Saints with the 9th overall pick, so Indianapolis pivots to shore up the backend of their secondary under new veteran defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.

During 14 starts this past season, the 6’1,” 205 pound senior safety Starks recorded 77 tackles (52 solo), 4 tackles for loss, 3 passes defensed, and an interception—earning First-Team All-American and First-Team All-SEC honors respectively.

There’s no question that the Colts could withstand to upgrade at the free safety spot, alongside projected returning starter Nick Cross, who had a bit of a breakout campaign.

Anarumo needs some better horses within his defense, particularly in the secondary’s backend—which has been depleted talentwise a bit in reasons season in Indianapolis.

To take a safety that early in the first round, they should be projected to be dynamic in the ‘Bob Sanders’ playmaking role—which Starks fits the bill as a top safety prospect this year.

Via his NFL.com draft profile:

Overview

Three-year starter with reams of high-leverage games on his résumé. Starks is a versatile safety with the size and athleticism to eliminate contested catches and the speed and ball skills to shine when the action travels deep. Connection to the route is inconsistent in man and he’s baited out of position by misdirection, but better discipline and anticipation should clean that up. He’s not a true force player near the line and his pursuit angles can be raggedy but he gets guys down when he’s in position. Starks has feast-or-famine moments on tape but he figures to test well and star in team interviews. He is a future starter as a movable back-end piece whose consistency will determine his floor/ceiling.