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 and disappointed with his short-area testing at the NFL Scouting Combine. He ran well in Indianapolis, though, and was impressive in interviews with teams. He is a future starter as a movable back-end piece whose consistency will determine his floor/ceiling.
Sixth-year senior who shows a strong desire to get downhill and set the tone as a striker. Despite his aggression, he’s more effective in coverage than he is as a run defender. He’s responsive to route combinations and is detail-oriented in his coverage but has athletic limitations that appear to limit on-ball production. He lacks the hand usage to keep himself clean as a run defender, which will need to change if he wants to make a team as a backup safety and core special-teams option.
