Colts draft CB Darius Rush - Round 5, Pick 138

[AlwaysSunnyinIndy]

Rush was ranked #81 on the Ringer's Big Board (for comparison, the website Tankathon had him ranked at #76)

The Ringer's scouting report is below:

ATHLETIC, LONG-LEVERED COVER CORNER with quick feet and receiver-like ball skills.

Comp: ALONTAE TAYLOR

SCOUTING REPORT BY DANNY KELLY
Rush is tall, with an athletic, muscular build and long arms. A former three-star wide receiver prospect out of Kingstree, South Carolina, he was a two-year starter for the Gamecocks and tallied 64 tackles, five tackles for loss, 15 passes defensed, and three picks in 23 games over the past two seasons.

Rush plays in both press- and off-coverage looks. He excels at crowding receivers and making it tough for them off the line, and he has lightning-quick feet to match receivers step for step out of their release and stay connected downfield. He shows good patience in making opponents commit to their route stems and does open his hips and get himself out of position before he needs to. He’s a former wide receiver with solid ball skills, showing the ability to leap up and contort his body to knock the pass down or make the pick. Rush shows awareness and understanding of routes, frequently running a receiver’s route for them. He’s a natural at tracking the ball from trailing coverage and looks back without losing his positioning. He knows how to use the sideline as leverage and exploits his length to make the catch window small. Against the run, he works hard to extricate himself from blocks and avoid getting sealed from the play. He was a standout at the Senior Bowl, regularly picking off passes in practice while competing well in one-on-one reps.

Rush can lose a step early in the route, particularly against shifty, speedy receivers. He’ll occasionally guess wrong and overplay a route to the wrong leverage. There are times when he’s a beat slow to transition from press to trailing coverage. He comes in high as a tackler and isn’t typically looking to lay a hit. He doesn’t always pursue hard from the backside. He’s an older prospect who is already 23 years old.

WHY HE COULD RISE
Rush has an intriguing combination of size, speed, and ball skills; he has starter upside on the outside and can contribute on special teams.

WHY HE COULD FALL
He gives up space underneath in coverage and has work to do as a tackler.