What are the Chiefs getting in new CB Darius Rush?

The Kansas City Chiefs have a new young cornerback in the building after submitting a successful waiver claim on Indianapolis Colts CB Darius Rush. Rush was originally selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft with pick No. 138, and Indianapolis knew exactly what they were getting into. The 23-year-old originally was recruited to […]

Charles Goldman — NFL Managing Editor

Sep 1, 2023 12:00 PM EDT

The Kansas City Chiefs have a new young cornerback in the building after submitting a successful waiver claim on Indianapolis Colts CB Darius Rush.

Rush was originally selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft with pick No. 138, and Indianapolis knew exactly what they were getting into. The 23-year-old originally was recruited to South Carolina as a receiver and didn't start playing cornerback until the fall of 2019. He didn't earn a starting job at the cornerback position until the 2021 college football season. Before entering the NFL, he had just 21 starts playing the cornerback position. In total, he recorded 74 tackles, four tackles for loss, 18 passes defended, and three interceptions for the Gamecocks.

Basically, Rush is far from a finished product when it comes to knowing the position that he's playing in the NFL. On one hand, he can use some of what he knows from his time as a receiver to an advantage. On the other, he's still putting everything together technique-wise, especially when it comes to footwork and anticipating routes.

What does Darius Rush have that the Chiefs can work with?

What Rush has going for him is size and athleticism, and an understanding of how to use it all to his advantage. He's 6-foot-2 and 199 pounds, long-limbed and explosive to boot. He ran a 4.36s 40-yard dash (tied for fourth best) and jumped 35 inches at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Rush has the hips to turn and burn in man coverage, and the length to compete through the process of the catch on contested throws. He's not unwilling to get his hands on receivers and press at the line of scrimmage. Rush is probably best suited to play boundary corner as he's great at crowding receivers and forcing outside releases to the sideline.

Rush even says that he has modeled his game after another South Carolina alum and Carolina Panthers first-round draft pick Jaycee Horn.

“Jaycee Horn, being the kind of guy he is and his press technique — I kind of modeled my game after him in terms of that,” Rush said, via the Charlotte Observer. “Being around him and seeing the kind of player he was — not only just on the field but off the field — his characteristics and how great of a person he was. I kind modeled my game after him.”

It's not a bad idea to model your game after a former top-10 draft pick, especially one that you played with.

How does he fit with the Chiefs?

There is a big youth movement at the cornerback position going on in Kansas City, and Rush seems to fit into the long-term plan on the defensive side of the ball. Second-year players like Trent McDuffie, Joshua Williams, and Jaylen Watson are ready to step into bigger roles now, so the Chiefs can bring Rush along slowly as he continues to learn to play the position. They can get him acclimated to their system alongside rookies like Nic Jones and Chamarri Conner, preparing him for a bigger role in the future.

Rush played most of his first two seasons with the Gamecocks on special teams, earning some really high marks in punt and kick coverage. So beyond his pending development on defense, this also gives Dave Toub a fresh face to work with. He could even wind up playing a key role there this season as he gets up to speed on the defensive side of the ball.