Wide Receiver Deon Long looks to break away from an Indiana defender in a 35-17 victory on Sept. 27, 2014. 

A throng of NFL scouts and coaches stood in back of the end zone with clipboards and notebooks, looking on as several Terrapins football players attempted vertical jumps. A few feet away, more professional representatives watched as players took turns doing the standing long jump.

And in the middle of the scrum, head coach Randy Esdall chatted with Bill Belichick, the coach of the 2015 Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. Earlier in the day, Belichick had spoken with Terps wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell, who played under the legendary coach from 1992 to 1995 with the Cleveland Browns.

Wide receiver Stefon Diggs hopes to follow in McCardell’s footsteps and enjoy a noteworthy NFL career. On Thursday, the Gaithersburg native highlighted a group of former Terps teammates who participated in the annual Pro Day at Byrd Stadium.

Wide receiver Deon Long, defensive lineman Darius Kilgo and linebacker Cole Farrand were among the group that showcased its skills in a series of drills and physical fitness tests. The team has yet to release players’ results from the day, but Edsall was pleased with what he saw.

“They didn’t look uptight. They didn’t look nervous. They looked like they were prepared,” Edsall said. “What you hope for, because of the way that our program is run and constructed, that days like this are kind of like second nature to them.”

While players participated in the vertical jump and the standing long jump, Diggs caught passes from quarterback Caleb Rowe. When his former teammates lined up for the 40-yard dash, Diggs knelt down on the sideline and cheered them on.

During the NFL Scouting Combine, none of Diggs’ numbers ranked among the upper echelon of wide receivers. He ran the forty in 4.46 seconds (17th), recorded a 35-inch vertical (25th) and notched a 115-inch broad jump (33rd). But he still chose not to participate in measurable drills Thursday.

“People usually run [at Pro Day] if they didn’t run as well as they wanted to [at the NFL combine],” Diggs said. “I was comfortable with my times. Of course, could probably do better. But dealing with certain types of conditions, see, right now it’s windy; they ran against the wind and with the wind. I didn’t want to have to do that.”

Diggs did partake in wide receiver-specific drills with Long, however. The duo, the Terps’ two highest-profile receivers, caught passes from different angles and distances.

It likely marked one of the last times Diggs and Long will participate in organized practice together as college students. When both speedy receivers suffered right leg injuries in the Terps’ 34-10 loss at Wake Forest on Oct. 10, 2013, they supported each other during rehab and developed a close bond.

“We’ve had that chemistry for years,” Long said. “I know where he comes from; he knows where I come from. … He’s sort of like a younger brother to me.”

In the crowd of NFL scouts and coaches, Belichick stood out. Clad in a light blue Johns Hopkins windbreaker (he’s good friends with Blue Jays men’s lacrosse coach Dave Pietramala), Belichick chatted with Edsall for nearly an hour.

Former Terps defensive tackle Joe Vellano played in six games with the Patriots this year but didn’t play in the Super Bowl. Edsall said his conversation with Belichick was “personal.”

“I would think that Bill knows the kind of program that I’ve been involved [in] not only here at Maryland, but also at Connecticut,” Edsall said. “There’s things that certain organizations look for in players, and the kind of programs they come from. It’s no different than us recruiting from certain high schools.”

From April 30 to May 2, 256 players’ names will be called at the NFL Draft in Chicago. On Thursday, a slew of former Terps worked out in hopes of convincing an NFL team they’re worthy of a draft pick or a free-agent contract.

Long saw the coaches, the scouts, the stopwatches and the notepads. But as swirling winds howled through Byrd Stadium, he couldn’t help but appreciate the time spent with his former teammates before they begin the next stage of their careers.

“It felt like Christmas,” Long said. “I was happy to see these guys. I haven’t seen them in a couple of months. It just feels like old times. Feels like we were out here in the summertime grinding together.”