Terps looking to represent Maryland as a state and university at NFL draft

Maryland defensive back Beau Brade said he didn’t watch much NFL during the college season, but he can summarize the Ravens’ defensive performance off the top of his head while still out of breath from working out at Maryland’s pro day.

“Just got to focus more on the college game,” Brade said. “But I love how everybody flies around. You got two great linebackers in the middle with Roquan [Smith] and Patrick Queen, with them leading your defense. You’ve got veterans like Marlon Humphrey. ... Everybody’s doing what they’re supposed to do. You’ve got Geno [Stone] stepping up, made plenty of interceptions, made a name for himself. Everybody’s balling out.”

The Clarksville product grew up watching the Ravens, inspired by legends such as Terrell Suggs and Ed Reed. He chose to stay local, playing for the Terrapins over 10 other programs that made offers, including the reigning national champions, the Michigan Wolverines.

At Maryland, the team captain led the Terps in tackles two years in a row, 2022 and 2023, and earned All-Big Ten honorable mention in both those seasons. Now, he’s projected to go anywhere from the second round to the fifth.

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The Ravens have a laundry list of needs, with offensive lineman and wide receiver at the top, but they could use a defensive back to build their depth. To one day wear a Ravens jersey would be a dream for Brade. But he’s more focused on simply making the NFL, even if it means beating his favorite team growing up.

“So every time I did play them, I’d definitely be in to whoop their ass. Or try to, at least,” he said. “No hard feelings, but that’s my mindset. ... But there’s definitely some juice when I’m playing my hometown team.”

Offensive lineman Gottlieb Ayedze grew up closer to the Washington Commanders, but he’s also looking to represent Maryland football (both the university and the state’s high school programs). He has the chance to be the first player from Northwest High School in Germantown to be drafted.

Ayedze said his phone was blowing up with people from his hometown.

“Coming in as a kid from Germantown, it would mean a lot,” Ayedze said.

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He, along with Brade, cornerback Tarheeb Still and offensive lineman Delmar Glaze, attended the NFL combine before Maryland’s pro day.

Improving stock

Although Brade wasn’t happy with his performance at pro day, Still felt he showed out better than he did at the combine.

“After performing at the combine, I really wanted to come out here and run faster,” said Still, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds in Indianapolis. “I wasn’t happy with my 40 at the combine, but I think I checked that box, the speed box.”

Still didn’t participate in many of the pro day workouts he already performed at the combine, but he did position drills in front of representatives from all 32 NFL teams.

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Glaze was especially excited to work with Philadelphia Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland and pick his brain.

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“They all liked how well I took the coaching, able to adjust on the spot,” Glaze said. “We had, what, four different offensive line coaches running the drills, so just being able to adapt and do it how they want it.”

Ravens offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris was among the pro coaches who ran drills.

Hoping to make an impression

Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa entered the transfer portal and submitted a waiver to the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility. He felt he left a lot of plays on the field and wanted another year to improve.

His waiver was denied, so he had to shift from preparing for another season to preparing for the draft, although he was not invited to the combine. At Maryland’s pro day, he showed the results of his training work for the first time since the East-West Shrine Bowl.

Tagovailoa, along with his wide receivers, was one of the last to participate in position drills. When he stepped up to the line of scrimmage, the soundtrack shifted from shouts, cheers and whistles to reggae.

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“The reggae music, that’s me. I’m an island boy,” said Tagovailoa, a native of Hawaii.

He said it calmed him as he tried to show off his arm strength, which he felt was most in question. His pitch to pro teams is that he’s a leader who connects well with his teammates and gives it his all.

Tagovailoa has a secret weapon on his side, though: the advice of his older brother, Tua, the Miami Dolphins quarterback.

“Not too many people have that opportunity where they’re the same position as their older brother,” Tagovailoa said. “We’re only two years apart. Just seeing everything that Tua’s doing, I just soak it in. I look up to my brother, everything he does. ... I want to be where he’s at, and he helps me a lot.”

Tua is partially responsible for the reggae music because his best advice to his younger brother is to keep it fun. He helps Tagovailoa keep things in perspective. Should he not hear his name called over the three days of the draft, Tagovailoa said, he will be at peace.

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