Sights & Sounds: First Look at New Steelers Cornerback

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers got their first look at new cornerback Darius Rush on Wednesday.

Rush joined the team after spending the first five weeks of the season on the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad. A 6-foot-2, 198-pound defensive back, Rush projects to play mainly at outside cornerback for the Steelers. 

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The South Carolina alum was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts waived Rush in their final round of cuts, and the Chiefs claimed him. Kansas City then waived him on Sept. 16 and added him to their practice squad.  

Rush worked with cornerbacks coach Grady Brown and behind starters Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace and backups Joey Porter Jr., James Pierre and Luq Barcoo in tackling and coverage drills in practice on Wednesday.

A South Carolina native, Rush played for his home state, Gamecocks, first as a wide receiver before moving to cornerback. He played in 43 games at South Carolina and made 21 starts. 

Rush first became a starter as a redshirt junior in 2021. He finished that season with 26 tackles, one for a loss, one interception, and eight passes defended.

As a redshirt senior in 2022, he had 38 tackles, two for a loss, two interceptions and seven passes defended. In addition to playing on the outside, Rush has significant special teams experience, racking up 15 tackles at South Carolina as a gunner in his first three seasons there. 

Rush combined his above-average size with excellent speed in pre-draft testing. He ran a 4.3-second 40-yard dash and posted an overall 9.8 relative athletic score. Rush joins Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice as tall, athletic cornerbacks on the Steelers from the NFL Draft class of 2023.

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