Four Terps looking to improve draft stock in 2024 NFL Combine

The four-day NFL combine kicks off on Thursday as Maryland is sending four former playmakers to Indianapolis, adding to the 11 players sent to the combine over the last two seasons.

Beau Brade and Tarheeb Still are set to take part in drills on Friday, March 1, while Gottlieb Ayedze and DJ Glaze suit up among the offensive linemen and specialists on Sunday, March 3. We take a look at where they stand heading into the combine:

SAF Beau Brade:

Brade has been the starter at strong safety for the last two years at Maryland, being named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in 2022 and 2023. He’s regarded as the Terps top prospect and is looking to become the third Terps DB taken in the first three rounds since 2023. Brade entered the season as the second-highest draft-eligible strong safety and was one of ten players noted who deserve more NFL Draft hype back in August, and the former River Hill standout has doubled down on those claims since. Brade was set to participate in the Senior Bowl and shined during practices before pulling out of the game. Brade will get a chance to showcase his strength and agility during the combine before expanding on his reps during next month’s Pro Day, set for March 29. A solid combine performance and a good showing at the interviews should get the job done, as he’s already being mocked on day two in several mock drafts. ESPN’s Mel Kiper has Brade ranked as the ninth-best safety in this year’s draft. Brade was projected to land with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round with the 89th overall pick in NFL.com’s updated three-round mock draft.

OT/OG DJ Glaze:

After starting 32 games as a Terp and finishing as a third-team All-Big Ten selection in 2023, Glaze could be the earliest Terp offensive lineman to be drafted since Bruce Campbell went in the fourth round in 2010. One of the biggest questions surrounding Glaze is whether he is a left or right tackle, or makes the move inside to guard at the next level — where most NFL scouts projected the star lineman heading into the 2023 season. While that can’t be answered this weekend, Glaze can impress coaches and scouts with quick feet and good technique during on-field drills. Having a high number of reps on the bench press won’t hurt either. If Glaze can do that, he could move into a day-two conversation for NFL teams. Glaze is currently projected to be a day three draft pick.

OT/OG Gottlieb Ayedze:

Ayedze, who didn’t start playing football until his senior year at Northwest (MD), came to Maryland having already been a name that NFL teams would keep an eye on. After missing the first three games due to injury, Ayedze stepped in as the starting right tackle and finished as the sixth-best Big Ten tackle in pass blocking, according to PPF. Everything that Glaze has to do at the combine applies to Ayedze as well. At least an above-average performance in Indy could almost guarantee he gets drafted as Ayedze likely projects as an interior lineman.

CB Tarheeb Still:

Still might be the biggest unknown of the Terps at the combine this week. He was a starter for all four years while at Maryland, being an All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2020 and named to the second team in 2023. Still also finished tied for sixth nationally in Interceptions with five. However, there’s a big question on where Still will go in the 2024 draft, if he’s drafted at all. Hopefully, his performance at the combine and in interviews will help move the needle in his favor. Still was able to boost his draft stock during practices leading up to the Shrine Bowl after being named a defensive standout.

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