Darius Rush CB South Carolina | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Darius Rush CB South Carolina
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| ROLE: Outside Man/Press CB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 04/16/2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.36 seconds (92%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 24.9 DOB: 02/22/2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ROLE: Outside Man/Press CB | |
| Last Updated: 04/16/2023 | |
| Draft Year: 2023 | |
| 40 time: 4.36 seconds (92%*) | |
| Age: 24.9 DOB: 02/22/2000 | |
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |
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| Overall Rating: | 84.5 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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79% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 91.3 | |
| Tackling: |
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60% |
| Run Defense: |
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65% |
| Coverage: |
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87% |
| Zone: |
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88% |
| Man/Press: |
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79% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
3rd
Overall Rank:
#88
Position rank:
#19
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| College Games: 26 College Snaps: 1264 | ||
ESPN RATING: 77/100
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247 RATING: 85/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.5 (90%)
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Drafted: ROUND: 5 - Pick Number: 138 (IND)
Draft Profile: Bio
Darius Rush attended C E Murray Hi High School and was rated a 3-star prospect by 247 Sports as a 172lb wide receiver prospect after playing CB, WR, and returner at high school. Following high school, Rush opted to join South Carolina.In 2019 as a redshirt freshman Rush began the year at wide receiver but transitioned to CB before the seaon began. He saw action in just one game and played a total of 20 snaps at cornerback for the Gamecocks. He recorded just 2 tackles, no assists, while adding a stop. In coverage Rush notched up one pass breakup, no interceptions, and a QB rating when targetted of 56.3.
As a sophomore in 2020 he played just 2 games and logged 51 snaps for the Gamecocks. He made just 2 tackles, no assists, and had no stops, however, he did contribute primarily as a special teamer
In 2021 as a junior Rush played in 13 games, started 12, and contributed on a total of 617 snaps. He chalked up 18 tackles, 4 assists, and added 4 stops. In the secondary Rush forced 8 pass breakups, one interception, and gave up QB rating when targetted of 97.1.
In 2022 as a senior Rush saw action in 10 games, starting 9 - while playing 576 snaps. He logged 26 tackles, 8 assists, and made 5 stops. In coverage, Rush had 6 pass breakups, 2 interceptions, and surrendered a QB rating when targetted of 87.7.
Honors & awards
- 2021 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll
- 2019 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll
- 2018-19 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Ideal measurables for a corner standing at standing 6-2 and weighing in at 198lbs, with elite arm length (89th percentile)
- Has the elite speed to run with even the fastest receivers deep - ran a 4.36 forty at the combine along with a 1.51 ten-yard split showcasing short-area acceleration
- Was amazing at the Senior Bowl. No corner was more dominant or aggressive in coverage. He also surprised us with his timed speed where he clocked the best time on the day at 21.65 MPH on the GPS
- Effective with the ball in the air - uses his length and jumping ability to be especially in the red zone defending jump balls
- Willing and successful blitzing off the edge. Consideration for a move to safety with a combination of range and sure tackling
- Great on route recognition and has click-and-close ability
- A coordinated athlete with good footwork and balance. A heady cover player with above-average · feel and anticipation in space.
- Extremely aggressive to come up and put his body in traffic to make tackles.
- Given his limited experience as a corner he displays outstanding transition flipping from backpedaling
- Isn't taken by head or QB play fakes and is disciplined stopping and starting in man coverage
- Tough and scrappy with forceful nature to be physical at all levels of the field. Has good bulk on his frame to be aggressive in run support.
- Can deliver the big hit and isn't afraid to jump inside to slow the ball.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Has just two full years as a starting corner - a natural WR - his skills are still very raw
- While he has the prototypical press cover skills given his size and speed - his lack of instincts as a man cover corner will make him a liability playing anything other than zone - at least for now
- During the last two years in South Carolina he gave up a very unimpressive 92.0 QB rating on a total of 70 targets
- He's a got very chequered injury history: redshirted in 2018 due to an injury, missed the spring in 2021 needing shoulder surgery, and had a hamstring problem in 2022
- Isn’t great in route recognition when he’s facing the action, is hesitant and susceptible to double moves, and too often gets unnecessarily handsy when playing trail position
- Given his size his tackling and consistency in run defense is underwhelming - where he struggles to dislodge blocks
- Often gets sloppy with his backpedal when playing off-man and seems to lack the instincts to close on the ball.
Scouting Report: Summary
Darius Rush is very much a work in progress as a corner prospect. He's got elite measurables and is an impressive athletic talent, however, is very inexperienced and is still learning the position having played just two years as a DB. Teams will view Rush as a player to mold after his performance at the Senior Bowl where he gave scouts an insight into his potential upside where he looked far from raw - in fact, he was arguably the best corner participating.Rush is a classic high ceiling low floor pro prospect, but given his elite athletic ability experience at an SEC school, he can only slide so far. Expect him to hear his name called in the third or fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Darius Rush percentiles vs other Cornerbacks (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Darius Rush (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
95.4
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
36.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.