Eagles hosted Malaki Starks and Penn State linebacker on pre-draft visits

The Birds brought the NFL Draft’s top safety prospect to Philly.

Time to add two more prospects to Bleeding Green Nation’s Philadelphia Eagles’ pre-draft visits tracker leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft:

• Georgia S Malaki Starks (source: Eliot Shorr-Parks)
• Penn State LB Kobe King (source: Aaron Wilson)

Let’s sort through this news on a player-by-player basis.

MALAKI STARKS

Starks is the No. 9 prospect ranked by Pro Football Focus and the No. 29 prospect ranked by Daniel Jeremiah. His expected draft position is No. 20 by Grinding the Mocks.

The 21-year-old Starks made 42 starts in 43 games played for Georgia from 2022-2024. He logged 197 total tackles, 17 passes defensed, six interceptions, and six tackles for loss during that three-year span.

With the expectation that Starks could be drafted well before the Eagles pick at No. 32, perhaps he’s someone they’re interested in trading up for. It’s not easy to believe Howie Roseman would move up for a safety but maybe Vic Fangio really likes Starks. He could be a C.J. Gardner-Johnson replacement as the starting safety next to Reed Blankenship. And he could be the 69th Georgia player on the Eagles’ roster.

Scouting report via NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:

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.

Spider graph via Mockdraftable:

Watch his highlights video:

KOBE KING

King is the No. 173 prospect ranked by Pro Football Focus.

The 22-year-old made 27 starts in 46 games played at Penn State from 2021-2024. He logged 200 total tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, four passes defensed, one forced fumble, and zero interceptions in college.

The Eagles could afford to draft a Day 3 linebacker since Nakobe Dean is coming off a serious injury and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is still an unproven commodity. King could conceivably compete for playing time until Dean returns and then serve as a backup who also contributes on special teams. He might be able to eventually develop into a starter in the Dean mold.

Scouting report via NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:

Big, productive inside linebacker who needs to play with good technique to make up for athletic and speed limitations. King is best in the confines of the box, where he can play downhill and utilize his physicality. He’s good with block take-ons and can compress the runner’s workspace. He loses ground pursuing outside runs and falls prey to missed tackles in the open field. King can be exploited on passing downs, but he plays with the toughness and physicality necessary to be a two-down inside linebacker. He has the potential to become a starter.

Relative athletic score:

Watch his highlights video: