Prospect No. 4: Darius Rush, South Carolina
Darius Rush, who is my personal favorite corner in the mid rounds of the draft, is an unbelievably slept on prospect by NFL fans and analysts. Rush is one of the few players at his position that you can truly watch on film and say that he can "do it all".
Rush has excellent ball skills, can break on the ball just as well as any CB prospect projected in rounds 2-3. Great ball tracking high pointing the ball, great coordination and footwork, but most importantly has the high-end speed nobody talks about. At 6 foot 2 inches and 198 pounds, Rush clocked in an official 4.36 second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. Unreal speed for a player his size.
Makes sense that a guy named Rush is fast.@DariusJRush | @GamecockFB
— NFL (@NFL) March 3, 2023
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
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Experts like to refer to Rush as a "raw" prospect due to his lack of experience at the CB position after he switched positions from WR. And while that may stand true, he's shown plenty of flashes of precision, balance, and hip placement to be a starting corner in the NFL. He could most definitely be one of the next 'WR turned CB' stars in the NFL following in the footsteps of Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowler, Trevon Diggs.
Darius Rush is a CB prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.81 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 43 out of 2212 CB from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/iNgLhREvA4 pic.twitter.com/LQK4osRZPw
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 14, 2023
Rush was a senior bowl standout and also played extremely well on special teams for the Gamecocks in his college tenure showcasing his tackling abilities and above average pursuit; something George Paton and the Broncos highly value.
Rush's overall combination of ideal size, speed, ball skills, and toughness make him the dream fit for Denver's defense and would be a fantastic addition to pair with Patrick Surtain ll and Justin Simmons in a star stellar secondary.