INDIANAPOLIS – Cornerback needed attention this draft and has received it with 2 of the team’s first 6 picks.
With the 138th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Colts took South Carolina cornerback Darius Rush Round Five.
Here are 3 takeaways on Rush:
1. Long, Speedy Cornerback
After taking cornerback JuJu Brents in Round Two, the Colts dipped back into a major position of need with Darius Rush in Round Five. Rush is a 6-2, 198-pound corner who ran an impressive 4.36 in the 40-yard dash. Rush’s speed is a huge asset as an outside cornerback. At South Carolina, Rush didn’t become a full-time starter until his fourth year on campus. And a major reason for that was Rush moving from wide receiver to defensive back in 2019. Rush started 21 games in his final two seasons.
2. Outside Cornerback Again?
A slight nitpick here is Rush is another outside corner, granted the depth chart there could probably use another body. Rush was the Senior Bowl Cornerback of the Week, so mark that box off the Chris Ballard checklist. The thought was the Colts could have used a nickel/slot corner option but that is not part of Rush’s background at South Carolina. Rush was not penalized often at South Carolina. However, he isn’t known as a strong tackle and only had 3 career interceptions.
3. Another Cornerback
Taking a 2nd cornerback around this time was always something the Colts needed to look deep into this draft. Outside of quarterback, no Colts position had more depth chart questions entering the draft than cornerback. You have them both in the short-term and the long-term, with the departure of Stephon Gilmore being the biggest individual loss this offseason. In past years, the Colts have typically found a veteran cornerback in free agency, but that hasn’t been the case this offseason, hence the need for extra draft attention here. Rush will join JuJu Brents as fighting for starting competition with Isaiah Rodgers Sr. and Dallis Flowers as the main outside corners.
