Bengals Add Georgia Safety Malaki Starks in 2025 CBS Sports NFL Mock Draft

Cincinnati holds the 17th pick in this year's draft.
Feb 28, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Georgia defensive back Malaki Starks (DB50) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Feb 28, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Georgia defensive back Malaki Starks (DB50) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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CINCINNATI — CBS Sports writer Kyle Stackpole dropped a 2025 NFL mock draft entering the weekend as free agency fervor dies down.

Cincinnati has not made any moves at safety so far, and Stackpole thinks they will add to that spot with the 17th overall pick. He has the Bengals taking Georgia safety Malaki Starks.

"Having addressed the interior defensive line in free agency -- and assuming they find a way to keep Trey Hendrickson -- the Bengals can take one of the best players available in big-play safety Malaki Starks," Stackpole wrote.

Starks is the consensus big board's 25th-best player and top safety at 6-1, 197 pounds. He is most often mocked to the Vikings at No. 24 overall after playing since his true freshman season in 2022.

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Russ Heltman
RUSS HELTMAN

Russ Heltman is a contributor for AllBearcats and AllBengals. He is the morning host and producer for 89.3 WMKV in Cincinnati, OH.  Russ can be found on Twitter: @RussHeltman11 or you can reach him by email at Heltmandm@yahoo.com.