The Indianapolis Colts doubled down on their biggest position of need by selecting cornerback Darius Rush out of South Carolina with their first fifth-round pick.
Despite selecting cornerback Julius Brents in the second round, it was a necessity for the Colts to add more depth to the room considering Kenny Moore II and Isaiah Rodgers Sr. are both in contract years.
Rush is another prospect filing in the long list of elite athletes with upside, making him a solid selection for the secondary.
Here’s our instant analysis of the pick:
How this pick helps the Colts
Outside of the quarterback position, there was no bigger need than cornerback. Adding Julius Brents in the second round was a solid pick. Bringing in Rush, a projected Day 2 pick, is another strong move to add depth, competition and upside to the defense.
What this pick means for the defense
This pick doesn’t solve the questions in the secondary by any means, but it does give the team another sigh of relief in terms of the depth of the roster. Taking Rush gives the Colts another prime athlete to develop as a perimeter cornerback in Gus Bradley’s zone-heavy scheme.
How he will be used
Rush will be competing as a boundary cornerback with the likes of Julius Brents, Isaiah Rodgers Sr. and Dallis Flowers. He has the length, speed and mentality to compete on the perimeter. He flashed some impressive ball skills, but you’d like to see him finish with more interceptions. The appeal also is that Rush is a savvy special teams player so he’ll have a role there regardless.
Scouting Report
Here’s a scouting report on Rush from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, who gave him a Round 3-4 grade:
Two-year starter at cornerback after moving from wide receiver in his redshirt freshman season. Rush is big, long and physical. He struggles to stay connected with routes from both press and off coverages but could improve with more technique work. He will never have the short area foot quickness to mirror and match routes but has impressive ball skills to disrupt the catch when he’s in position.
Quick grade
Any time you can draft a player on Day 3 who fits the defensive scheme with elite athletic traits and the ability to contribute immediately on special teams, it should be considered a win. Rush has areas to clean up when it comes to his technique, especially when it comes to footwork. But he can contribute immediately on special teams and as a depth piece in the secondary with elite athleticism right away.
Grade: B
