Categories: Football

OL DJ Glaze drafted in third round by Las Vegas Raiders

Former Maryland offensive lineman DJ Glaze becomes the first Terp drafted, coming off the board in the third round and 77th overall pick to the Las Vegas Raiders. Glaze will join former Maryland WR DJ Turner and CB Jakorian Bennett under first-year head coach Antonio Pierce.

DJ Glaze, a former three-star prospect out of West Mecklenburg (NC) in the 2020 class, became an integral piece along Maryland’s offensive line through the 2021 season before taking over as the full-time starter. Glaze started 32 games for the Terps at both left and right tackle, starting 16 on both sides throughout his college career. In 2023, he started every game at left tackle, protecting quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa’s blindside and helping him lead the Big Ten in completions, passing yards, touchdowns, and yards per game while breaking the Conference record for career passing yards. He was moved there following the departure of Jaelyn Duncan to the NFL Draft after the 2022 season.

Glaze was named an All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2022, along with a third-team selection in 2023. His play helped him earn an invite to the Senior Bowl. He was listed as the second-best pass-blocking tackle in the Big Ten by Pro Football Focus in both 2022 and 2023.

“You look to the left side of our line and you’ve got DJ Glaze, who’s a guy that I think has the potential to play on Sundays,” Mike Locksley said during the 2023 season. “I think DJ is one of the better linemen in the country.”

The prize of the offseason stay-or-go decisions was Glaze as the star lineman weighed the possibility of his available COVID season, but pulled the trigger on his professional career back in mid-January after accepting an invite to the Reese’s Senior Bowl where he participated in practices but ultimately did not play. After shining as a tackle in College Park, Glaze will likely begin his career as an interior lineman.

Glaze was also one of four former Maryland starters to be invited to the NFL Combine and posted the seventh-most reps on the bench press among the offensive linemen with 29.