The 2024 National Football League season is about to go off in a few hours. Let’s examine the opinions of each former Maryland football player now playing in the NFL.
Seven former Terps are officially named as starters for Week 1 as of Thursday morning: DJ Moore of the Chicago Bears, Stefon Diggs of the Houston Texans, and Indianapolis Colts free safety Nick Cross, safety Darnell Savage of the Jacksonville Jaguars, cornerback Jakorian Bennett of the Las Vegas Raiders, cornerback Deonte Banks of the New York Giants, and tight end Chig Okonkwo of the Tennessee Titans.
For a select few athletes, the news is very noteworthy. In the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Bennett was selected by the Raiders with the 104th overall selection. Last season, the second-year player participated in 14 games, starting four of them, and finished with 38 tackles and three passes defensed. Bennett appears ready to make the transition to a starting role at the start of the season. Both Savage and Diggs will start for the first time on their new clubs; Savage signed a three-year, $21.75 million contract with Jacksonville after leaving Green Bay, while Buffalo made a blockbuster trade this summer to send Diggs to Houston. In just two seasons, Cross, a third-round choice of the Colts in the 2022 NFL Draft, has made just four career starts.
Although Spencer Anderson, an offensive lineman, is listed as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ backup left guard, Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the team, stated earlier this week that Anderson will make his first career start at that position on Sunday. For Anderson, who was Pittsburgh’s ninth-to-last choice in the 2023 NFL Draft, it is a significant step. Last season, Anderson made eight appearances.
Prior to the NFL season’s opening week, former Terps Ty Johnson, the running back/kick returner for the Buffalo Bills, Quinton Jefferson, the right defensive lineman for the Cleveland Browns, DJ Glaze, the right tackle for the Raiders, and Jaelyn Duncan, the left tackle for the Titans, were all listed as second-stringers.
Johnson, who the Detroit Lions selected in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, is set to begin his second consecutive season with Buffalo. Entering his ninth season in the NFL, Jefferson is making his Cleveland debut. Duncan, a sixth-round pick in 2023, started five games for the Titans in their last year. After being chosen 77th overall in the third round of this year’s draft, Glaze will make his NFL debut.
Tarheeb Still, a cornerback for the Los Angeles Chargers, and Beau Brade, a full safety for the Baltimore Ravens, are former Maryland players who are classified as third-stringers for Week 1. Brade had an outstanding preseason with Baltimore, earning him a spot on the 53-man roster. In this year’s fifth round, Los Angeles chose Still with the 137th overall selection.
Prior to the season, the following former Terps were on NFL practice squads: defensive lineman Sam Okuayinonu of the San Francisco 49ers, tight end Tyler Mabry of the Seattle Seahawks, offensive tackle Corey Bullock of the Ravens, and defensive lineman Byron Cowart of the Bears. Both Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Rakim Jarrett and offensive lineman Michael Dunn of the Browns are listed as reserve/non-football injured.
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