The NFL Draft — conducted for the first time virtually — has come and gone, and a new wave of Terps have become pros.

Two former members of Maryland’s football team were selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers on the third day of the NFL Draft April 25, while three more signed as undrafted free agents shortly after the draft ended and another inked a deal with a pro team April 27.

A Terp has now been chosen in 24 of the last 26 drafts and Maryland has had multiple players selected in five of the last six drafts.

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Running back Anthony McFarland Jr. off the board to the Steelers in the fourth round gives Maryland a player drafted in the first four rounds in three straight years. Piitsburgh’s sixth-round selection of safety Antoine Brooks Jr. made it three Terps defensive backs taken in the last five drafts.

Anthony McFarland Jr., RB – Pittsburgh Steelers – 4th Rnd. (124th overall)

McFarland was the 12th running back drafted this year and he’s the highest drafted Terps running back since LaMont Jordan was chosen 49th overall by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. The DMV product is the 15th Maryland running all-time to be selected in the NFL Draft.

In just 23 career games for the Terps, McFarland rushed for 1,648 yards and 12 touchdowns. His 6.7 yards per carry is third all-time in program history and he set records in his redshirt freshman season for rushing yards (1,034), rushing yards in a game (298 vs. Ohio State), and 100-yard rushing games (four).

McFarland earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors that season but followed it up with a sophomore campaign marred by a high ankle sprain. Appeared in all but one game and started seven last season, McFarland tallied 614 rushing yards and eight touchdowns while playing through injury.

The 5-foot-8, 208-pounder boosted his draft stock back in February at the NFL Combine when he ran a 4.44 40-yard dash, which was the fourth-fastest time amongst running backs.

Pittsburgh is a team that has plenty of familiarity with McFarland. He was a teammate in College Park with Dino Tomlin, son of Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, and Pittsburgh’s new quarterbacks coach Matt Canada served was an offensive coordinator turned interim head coach in 2018 — McFarland’s best season at Maryland.

“He is like a father-figure to me,” McFarland of Canada in an interview with Steelers.com. “Every time I see him, I am going to pick his brain. I am glad I am going to be around him.”

Pittsburgh’s backfield has some talent, but McFarland should have a chance to build a role for himself. James Conner is the incumbent starter but he has yet to stay healthy for a full 16-game season in his three-year career. Backups Jaylen Samuels and Benny Snell Jr. are pass-catching and short-yardage specialists, respectively, but McFarland brings a combination of both to the field. McFarland didn’t have much of a chance to flash his hands at Maryland, but if he can prove he can catch out of the backfield at the next level, he’ll be a valuable asset in Pittsburgh.

“I am really excited to add a guy like Anthony McFarland,” Steelers running backs coach Eddie Faulkner told Steelers.com. “A good fit to the room, a good complement to what is already on our roster. We have some familiarity with him. People speak very highly of him. You look at the tape, he offers a change of pace to our room. I think he will be a great addition. I am excited to get him in the fold.”

Antoine Brooks Jr., S – Pittsburgh Steelers – 6th Rnd. (198th overall)

The Steelers took their second Terp when they picked Brooks in the sixth round.

“Me and him are going to ball out until we can’t anymore,” Brooks said of playing with McFarland again. “Me and him in the same locker room being reunited. It’s the next level.”

The Duval High School grad was voted team MVP by the Terps last season and was a Second Team All-Big Ten selection after leading Maryland with 87 tackles. Brooks led the Big Ten and was ninth in the country, averaging 5.8 solo tackles per game and he was the high-graded safety in run defense by Pro Football Focus. He also finished last season tied for the team lead with five pass breakups.

Brooks’ versatility and playmaking ability was identified and will be utilized by Pittsburgh’s defense.

“He is a really good physical player,” Steelers senior defensive assistant Teryl Austin told Steelers.com. “He plays a little of everywhere, and he was around the ball. Wherever the ball is, he is going to show up. He has a really good feel for the game in terms of instincts and not being afraid to make a decision.”

Brooks joins Sean Davis (2016) and Darnell Savage Jr. (201(9) as Terps safeties drafted in the last five years.

Undrafted Free Agents

Tino Ellis, CB- New Orleans Saints

While the Saints’ secondary doesn’t have any immediate openings, two of their top cornerback — Janoris Jenkins and Patrick Robinson — are on the wrong side of 30 and the secondary in the Bayou will need to be revamped soon. Ellis is long and athletic and could hang around the league for a while if he improves his speed and technique.

Tyler Mabry, TE – Seattle Seahawks

Mabry should be an asset in the NFL because of his ability to block and catch. He’s not spectacular at either but he’s more than solid at both. Seattle signed 35-year old Greg Olsen in the offseason, making him the Seahawks only viable tight end option with last year’s rookie sensation Will Dissly rupturing his Achilles in the middle of last season. Seattle needs a tight end so Mabry has an opportunity.

 Javon Leake, RB – New York Giants

The Bronx-bron running back is heading back to New York to suit up for the Giants. A poor combine and fumbling concerns pushed Leake out of the draft, but his game film speaks for itself. Leake will likely have to make his name on special teams as the next level but could develop into a third-down back that earns a starting role in a pinch.

Keandre Jones, LB – Chicago Bears

Jones is an undersized linebacker heading to a team that’s loaded at linebacker, so he’ll likely have to excel at special teams to remain in the league. The former five-star prospect will have a chance to learn from one of the game’s best in Kahlil Mack.