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Malaki Starks Says He’s a Culture Changer. Falcons Had ‘Really Good’ Conversations

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Malaki Starks Says He’s a Culture Changer. Falcons Had ‘Really Good’ Conversations


As Georgia safety Malaki Starks backpedaled, flipped his hips and finished the drill with a confident snag, Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich watched in not-so-silent admiration.

“Goodness gracious. That’s different,” Ulbrich said, according to Dawgs Central’s Graham Coffey. “That might be the safest pick in the draft.”

Starks, who shined Feb. 28 at the NFL combine in Indianapolis, starred again during Georgia’s pro day March 12. He’s perhaps the draft’s best safety and is expected to be a first-round pick April 24.

And the Jefferson, Ga., native may not have to move too far to play professionally.

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Starks met with the Falcons at the NFL combine and said he’s had “really good” conversations with them throughout the process.

“(They) really like my versatility,” Starks said after his pro day. “But also just the leadership skills I bring and the discipline I have coming from a place like the University of Georgia — just being able to carry that and carry myself in a certain way, they really like that.”

Starks did a little bit of everything for the Bulldogs in 2024. He played 400 snaps at free safety, 271 snaps at nickel corner and 215 snaps roaming the box, according to Pro Football Focus.

The 6’1″, 195-pound Starks was a first-team All-American in 2023 and second-team All-American in 2024. He finished his career in Athens with 42 starts, six interceptions and 17 pass breakups.

Starks was a captain as a junior in 2024, joining safety Dan Jackson and linebacker Jalon Walker. He feels it shows he can lead teams, checking an important character box for teams like the Falcons who stress locker room culture.

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Fluid movements and an impressive resume suggest Starks is worthy of being in play for Atlanta at No. 15 overall. He believes there’s more to his profile that validates it.

“I’m a competitor, on and off the field. I like to compete,” Starks said. “I grew up a certain way; my family raised me a certain way. I’m not a headache — you don’t have to worry about me off the field. I’m a guy who comes from a winning program, a guy who knows discipline.

“Somebody who can come in and be a part of the culture and maybe change it and help. Just somebody you should take.”

The Falcons have an open starting spot at safety, as Justin Simmons is an unrestricted free agent likely to play elsewhere in 2025 and Richie Grant signed with the San Francisco 49ers.

Apart from two-time All-Pro Jessie Bates III, Atlanta has only two safeties under contract: DeMarcco Hellams, who missed all of 2024 due to an ankle injury suffered in the preseason opener, and Benny Sapp III, who spent the final month of last season on the Falcons’ practice squad.

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Atlanta also needs a nickel corner, as it didn’t tender starter Dee Alford, pushing the once-restricted free agent into the unrestricted free agent pool. Regardless, the Falcons’ decision meant they didn’t want to pay Alford the near-$3 million right-of-first-refusal price tag — hardly a vote of confidence for a potential starter.

The Falcons have made several signings and re-signings in free agency. They’ve added pieces on the defensive line — Leonard Floyd and Morgan Cox — and at linebacker in Divine Deablo.

But Atlanta hasn’t added a safety, nor a viable player at nickel. Starks gives the Falcons both.

And after fulfilling one childhood dream, the 21-year-old welcomes the opportunity to keep on dreaming at the next level.

“It’d be awesome,” Starks said about playing for the Falcons. “I grew up watching Georgia, I got to play in my backyard. Grew up watching Atlanta — so just kind of that same journey, same story, would be awesome. But I’d be lucky to go anywhere.”

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Where do the Atlanta Falcons pick in the 2026 NFL Draft?

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Where do the Atlanta Falcons pick in the 2026 NFL Draft?


The Atlanta Falcons do not have a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft, and they currently don’t have a general manager to make the selection. Team owner Arthur Blank dismissed both head coach Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot following the team’s 8-9 finish.

While the Falcons didn’t make the playoffs this season, Fontenot’s bold draft day trade for James Pearce Jr. paid off in a big way. Pearce finished with 10.5 sacks, leading all rookies, and the Falcons went from having the NFL’s second-worst pass rush to having the No. 2 unit with 57 sacks in 2025.

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As for the pick that Atlanta sent to Los Angeles in the Pearce trade, it will officially land at 13th overall. But what about the team’s other picks? Check out the Falcons’ current selections in the 2026 NFL Draft below.

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Atlanta Falcons: List of picks in 2026 NFL Draft

  • Round 2 (Projected pick No. 48)

  • Round 3 (Projected pick No. 79)

  • Round 4 (Projected pick No. 114)

  • Round 6 (Projected pick No. 197)

  • Round 7 (Projected pick No. 231)

Not only did Pearce lead all rookies with 10.5 sacks, but former third-round pick Xavier Watts led the 2025 draft class with five interceptions. The Falcons will have to find some more mid-round gems in 2026.

This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Atlanta Falcons picks in each round



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Atlanta weather: Foggy Monday morning, warming trend ahead

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Atlanta weather: Foggy Monday morning, warming trend ahead


Winter’s roller-coaster temperatures are climbing back up the hill this week, with another drop expected next week.

Patchy fog could affect the start of the workweek across parts of north and central Georgia, followed by a rapid warmup that may push temperatures close to record levels before a sharp cooldown by the weekend, according to the FOX 5 Storm Team. 

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How warm will it get this week?

By the numbers:

Monday is expected to look similar to Sunday, with filtered sunshine and mild temperatures. “Tomorrow looks very similar to today’s, mostly sunny, a bit mild,” FOX 5 Storm Team meteorologist Greg Majewski said, with highs generally in the low to mid-60s.

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The warming trend strengthens as the week continues. Overnight lows will rise into the 40s and near 50, followed by daytime highs climbing into the upper 60s and low 70s by midweek. “The trend is going to be going upward here for the week,” Majewski said.

Several days in the 70s are possible, bringing temperatures close to record territory. “We’re hitting the 70s here three days in a row,” he said. “This is going to get awfully close to the record high.”

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Rain chances remain limited early in the week, though Majewski said a weak boundary could bring “a couple of isolated showers” late Tuesday. More meaningful rain is expected later in the week as a stronger system approaches.

By Friday night into Saturday, showers and thunderstorms could move through the area, followed by a dramatic cooldown. “Here comes the rain coming in on Friday, kind of late,” Majewski said, adding that colder air will move in behind the system.

How cold will it get this weekend?

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What’s next:

Temperatures are expected to fall sharply by Sunday. “Boom. 51, 37,” Majewski said. “Much colder Sunday.”

That cold snap could bring another return to winterlike mornings early next week. “That means that Monday morning we’ll probably see the twenties back in here yet again,” he said. “So the roller-coaster ride of our winter continues here across Georgia.”

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The Source: This article contains an original forecast by the FOX 5 Storm Team. The National Weather Service contributed to this report.

WeatherNewsGeorgia



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Braves News: NBP pieces falling into place, slow market, more

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Braves News: NBP pieces falling into place, slow market, more


Well the NBP posted players all seem to be settled now, with Imai and Okamoto having signed with an MLB club and Takahashi returning to the NBP. Those players do not seem to have sparked movement in the overall market, either in free agency or in trades, at least so far, as this offseason continues to be glacial. Hopefully things pick up a bit as we get more separation from the holidays. The Braves still seem to be motivated to make a big addition, but this front office has shown that the right deal has to be there for them to pull the trigger.



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