2023 NFL Draft Profile: CB Darius Rush

Cornerback Darius Rush had a strong week of practice at the Senior Bowl. Nick takes a look at what he potentially has to offer to a team like the Giants that likely is looking to add to its cornerback group.

Darius Rush, CB

Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 200 lbs.
Class: RS-Senior
School: South Carolina

A former three-star recruit out of C.E. Murray High School in Greeleyville, South Carolina, where he was the 21st-ranked prospect in the state in the 2018 recruiting class. Rush was recruited as a receiver and only transitioned to defensive back midway through his Red-Shirt Freshman year.

Notables

Rush built on a very solid 2021 RS-Junior season during the 2022 campaign. In 2021, Rush started mostly at right CB, where he only allowed a 41% catch rate with 8 PBUs and an interception. In his RS-Senior season, he knocked six passes away and picked off two passes.

It took Rush a bit to find defensive snaps after arriving on campus as a wide receiver. He spent his entire red-shirt season and some of his RS-Freshman year on offense, so he was mostly a special teams contributor until 2021. Although he’s raw and not the most athletic CB, his length and size will be coveted in the NFL. 

Strengths

• Tall, long, and physical
• Solid overall instincts in zone coverage
• When in phase, plays physical through the catch point - harassing
• When square to target, he does a solid job wrapping ball carriers up
• Great competitive toughness & hustle
• KENTUCKY Q1, 9:24, 1st & 15
• GEORGIA STATE Q4 11:23, 2nd & 10- 44 yard rush
• Showed some upside to disguise blitzes and apply pressure
• TEXAS A&M Q4, 12:11 3rd & 5 - 2 yard completion
• GEORGIA STATE Q4, 15:00 2nd & 20 - Incompletion
• Does better-recognizing routes in front of his face in deeper zones
• Special teams contributor
• Raw to playing defense, so there’s possibly room for growth
• Has experience playing safety and CB
• Solid ball skills and ability to high point the football (former WR)

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Weaknesses

• Doesn’t appear to be an elite athlete for the CB position
• Struggles to quickly change direction in run support or while coming out of breaks in man
• Footwork in press is average
• Lacks desired suddenness out of breaks when with hips turned/not square
• Fluidity in man coverage at the next level could be a concern
• Average ability to flip his hips and accelerate
• Was stacked by quicker WRs on the outside - feet stuck in mud
• CLEMSON Q2, 7:34, 2nd & 9 - 59 yard completion
• VANDY Q4, 7:50, 1st & 10 - 28 yard completion
• Average at best tackler with little thump
• Marginal angles of pursuit coming downhill, especially aligned as safety
• Eye-candy forced indecision in run fit at safety
• FLORIDA Q1 2:11 2nd & 10 - 85 yard touchdown by Trevor Etienne
• GEORGIA STATE Q4 11:23, 2nd & 10- 44 yard rush (same play as above)
• Appeared to have some miscommunications, which may not have been his fault
• GEORGIA STATE Q2 4:26, 1st & 10 - 17 yard touchdown on post
• TENNESSEE Q4 2:00, 1st & 10 - 64 yard completion on scissors concept

Summary

Darius Rush has great size/length, and he’s still developing as a defensive player after transitioning from receiver. He played a lot of press-man for the Gamecocks, but that may not be his best fit in the NFL due to his average athletic ability and fluidity. 

If he is used in man coverage, his best fit is at boundary cornerback inside the divider, where he can assume the trial position and use his ball skills and location ability to disrupt the catch point.

Ideally, if well coached up and up to speed, Rush would execute a match-principled defense where he can play off leverage and keep routes in front of him. His ability to click & close is adequate, as are his instincts while off.

 Better angles into run fits could help a coaching staff transition him to safety, which is in the realm of possibility. Rush is a tough player, but he may be best served starting on special teams and learning the nuances of playing cornerback in the NFL.

GRADE: 5.8

Nick Falato

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