PITTSBURGH — Darius Rush has spent less than one year in the NFL. But already, the cornerback feels like a bit of a journeyman.
Rush, who played almost double-digit positions in high school, was recruited to South Carolina as a receiver. However, when coach Will Muschamp moved on after the 2020 season, Rush transitioned to cornerback for his final two seasons, where his production and 4.36 40-yard dash speed made him one of the top 10 corners in The Athletic draft analyst Dane Brugler’s 2023 rankings.
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The Colts selected Rush in the fourth round, but that was only the start of his whirlwind journey. He was cut after training camp, a rare move for a pick of that pedigree, and landed on the Chiefs’ practice squad. When the Steelers’ secondary was hit by injuries in October, the team signed Rush off the Chiefs’ practice squad, giving him an opportunity with his third NFL team in three months.
“It was definitely a journey,” Rush said on Wednesday after the Steelers’ second OTA session of the offseason. “Just to make it through that, it was a lot of lessons learned. You got to see the operation of how the NFL works, at the same time, and be around great people in all three of those organizations.”
As Rush embarks upon his second season in the league, he’s just one of the many candidates in a crowded cornerback competition that’s only starting to heat up.
The Steelers have one clear-cut starter in Joey Porter Jr. Selected 32nd in 2023, Porter quickly proved to be the Steelers’ most reliable defensive back and was often trusted to shadow the opponent’s top threat. Given his early success, there should be a level of optimism that Porter can continue to build upon his rookie season and shore up one outside corner spot for years to come.
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But what about the other outside corner? So much has been said and written about the uncertainty at wide receiver. (And for good reason.) However, the battle for CB2 might be an even greater question mark, setting the stage for one of the more compelling training camp competitions on the roster.
The leading candidate to land the role, as of now, is newcomer Donte Jackson. Acquired in the trade that sent Diontae Johnson to Carolina, Jackson brings 80 games (76 starts), 14 interceptions and more than 4,000 defensive snaps to the position. While a torn Achilles in November of 2022 might have taken a step away from his 4.32 speed, the 28-year-old’s mobility, experience and ball skills still could help him gain an edge.
However, the options behind Jackson add some intrigue to this position battle.
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The Steelers appear to be prioritizing long, athletic corners. At nearly 6-2 and about 200 pounds, Rush fits that bill with above-average height and length. He shows his wide receiver background with the way he attacks the ball in the air and his 4.36 speed. Right now, Rush and Anthony Averett, a 2018 Ravens fourth-round pick who joined the team earlier this month after a rookie minicamp invite, are most actively pushing Jackson for playing time at OTAs. Rush said he has worked primarily outside but also some at nickel and dime, where he saw some action as a rookie when injuries struck.
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The other X-factor is second-year corner Cory Trice Jr. Coming out of college, Trice earned a third-round draft grade from Brugler, who listed the Purdue corner as the 14th-best corner in the 2023 class. When Trice slid into the seventh round, the Steelers felt they had a steal.
Trice’s chance to prove he could exceed his draft position hit a roadblock in the first padded practice of his first training camp when he tore his ACL, ending his rookie season even before it began.
“It was tough,” Trice said. “As soon as it happened, it was tough. But you know, I had the talk with the coaches and then I knew what the plan was going forward. And then it was just rehab time. Now it’s time to prepare for this moment.”
Trice is not yet medically cleared for contact, so his opportunity to challenge for the job will have to wait. He said Wednesday that he expects to be a full-go by training camp. It’s been a long process to get back on the field, but he did endure a similar injury on the opposite (left) knee during his Purdue career. He said that experience helped create a blueprint to follow the second time around.
“It was actually a good thing, because I knew what to expect,” Trice said. “Each month, I knew what to expect.”
Like Rush, Trice’s length and athleticism are two of his more intriguing characteristics. When former Purdue coach Jeff Brohm signed Trice, he joked that the 6-3 athlete would be the first one off the bus once he filled out. Now at more than 200 pounds, he has the frame the Steelers desire and has earned a nickname as an “Avatar” corner, as coach Mike Tomlin calls him and Porter.
CB Cory Trice sure looks the part. pic.twitter.com/q2rK2vlcsr
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) May 22, 2024
“We’re all fast, long,” Trice said. “So we can all use our hands and run with guys.”
One way or another — either by one of these three candidates stepping up to seize the spot or another addition entering the fold — the Steelers will need to find a dependable option opposite Porter. Last season, the Steelers boasted the league’s sixth-best scoring defense (19.1 points per game) and created the eight-most turnovers (27). However, limiting big plays was one of the things holding the team back from having a true lockdown unit. A lot of that falls on the secondary, as Pittsburgh gave up 63 passing plays of 20 yards or more, the fourth-most in the league.
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On a defense that looks pretty complete — with T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Cameron Heyward providing one of the best pass rushes in the league, Minkah Fitzpatrick playing at a perennial Pro Bowl level and Porter ascending into stardom — finding the final piece of this puzzle will tell the story of just how dominant this defense can become.
(Photo of Darius Rush: Cooper Neill / Getty Images)
