Darius Rush NFL Draft Scouting Report

CB, South Carolina Gamecocks

A high school wide receiver that also played on defense, Darius Rush came to South Carolina to play wide receiver but transitioned to playing corner during fall camp in 2019. Rush played primarily on special teams in 2020 before starting in 2021 and 2022 at corner for the Gamecocks. His performance earned him an invitation to the Senior Bowl.

Rush is a tall and long corner that does well to stay leveraged in zone coverage. He understands his coverage landmarks and generally protects himself from giving up big plays. Rush’s length is a major asset in his game because of how it increases his margin for error in coverage and when invading the catch point. Rush has proven to be effective playing the ball in the air whether it’s driving forward or leveraging himself at the catch point when challenged with his back to the line of scrimmage. Rush is a physical corner that competes well playing off contact while maintaining his run fit. For a player that is still relatively new to playing corner, his development and production as a two-year starter in the SEC are impressive and suggest there is further room for improvement. Rush has also proven to be an effective multi-phase special teams contributor, which should be an asset to his value in the NFL. 

While Rush has held his own in college, he’s more smooth than sudden and lacks a dynamic athletic profile. He struggles to carry routes into space and stay connected as routes elongate. He can be tardy to drive and close on routes, which speaks to his need to continue developing his processing and feel in coverage given his newness to the position. Rush isn’t likely to be a universal scheme fit—his appeal is much greater for teams that play primarily zone coverage. For being a bigger and longer corner, his tackling consistency leaves much to be desired. I haven’t noticed instances of him being passive but rather not being balanced and falling off attempted tackles. 

At the next level, Rush projects as a reserve outside corner for a zone-heavy defense that should be able to provide value on special teams. He does offer developmental appeal given his length, ball skills, and need for more time on task at the position to gain more comfort. 

Top Reasons to Buy In:

• Length
• Ball skills
• Zone coverage

Top Reasons For Concern:

• Man coverage
• Tackling consistency
• Modest athletic profile

Size (NFL Combine):

Height: 6′ 2”

Weight: 198 lbs

Arm Length: 33 3/8”

Hand Size: 9 1/2”

Athletic Testing (NFL Combine):

40-yard Dash: 4.36s

Vertical Jump: 35”

Broad Jump: 10′ 1”

Short-Shuttle: TBD

Three-Cone: TBD

Bench Reps: TBD

Ideal Role: Developmental outside corner and special teams 

Scheme Fit: Zone coverage  

Prospect Comparison: Lamar Jackson (2020 NFL Draft) 

TDN Consensus Grade: 74.00/100 (Fourth-Round Value)

• Marino Grade: 74.00/100

Written By: Joe Marino

Exposures: Kentucky (2022), Georgia (2022), Texas A&M (2022)

Darius Rush NFL Draft Scouting Report. Add him to your big board here.