Ravens Player Reveals His Honest Thoughts About Todd Monken

Todd Monken decided to leave a national championship college program, looking for another chance to one day become an NFL head coach. That dream was realized when he was hired by the Cleveland Browns this offseason.

While he was the offensive coordinator at the University of Georgia, Monken came across many future NFL players. One of them was freshman defensive back Malaki Starks, and they continued their relationship with the Baltimore Ravens, where Monken was the offensive coordinator for the past three years.

Now, with the Ravens about to meet the Browns for the first time this season, Sparks is revealing his honest thoughts about Monken, saying his ability to challenge a defense sets him apart.

“He has a great mind for play-calling, and I think he really knows how to attack defenses,” Starks said.

"He has a great mind for play-calling."

—@starks_malaki on his former OC at Georgia ahead of the Ravens-Browns matchup 👀 pic.twitter.com/CYlUcLyGIt

— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) October 16, 2026

Sparks had to go up against a Monken-led offense every day in practice, a unit that included Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, Buffalo Bills running back James Cook, and Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey. It helped the safety become a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he posted 84 combined tackles with two interceptions, starting 15 games as a rookie.

While Monken was with the Ravens, they led the NFL in rushing yards over his three seasons. That has yet to translate to the Browns, who have struggled running the ball this year, ranking 21st in the NFL at 94.2 yards per game.

A lot of that production has come from quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has gained 167 yards on the ground in his career-reviving season. Monken believed in Watson since the day he was hired, and he has been rewarded for that belief with three game-winning fourth-quarter scoring drives from the veteran.

Now, Monken, Watson, and the rest of the Browns will face their biggest challenge of the season, taking on the Ravens with first place in the AFC North on the line. Baltimore also has a new head coach in Jesse Minter, so the game does not have the familiarity it would have if John Harbaugh were still in charge.

But Starks and his defensive teammates will have a good idea of how Monken might attack them, so it will be interesting to see how he counters that on Sunday.