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2019 NFL Draft Profile: Nevada DE Korey Rush
Former Nevada defensive end Korey Rush looks to hear his name being called in the 2019 NFL Draft
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Here are the strengths and weaknesses for former Nevada DE Korey Rush
The 2019 NFL Draft starts in a little less than 24 hours in Nashville, Tennessee. College players will wait and see if their names get called as being drafted by a NFL team during the three day period of the draft. Former Nevada Wolf Pack defensive end Korey Rush could be a player whose name gets called during the draft this weekend.
During his career in Nevada, Rush has played in 46 games and started in 22 of those games. Rush was a key contributor in a Wolf Pack front seven that propelled Nevada to an eight win season in 2018. Rush was named first team All-Mountain West on defense, finished second on the team in sacks with six and he finished second on the team in tackles for loss at 12.5. Rush led the entire Mountain West conference during the 2018 season in average tackles for loss as he averaged 1.4 tackles for loss per game.
Rush did miss the final three regular season games of the 2018 season due to a broken foot he suffered against San Diego State. He did come back in time for Nevada’s victory over Arkansas State in the Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl. Even with the injury he suffered, Korey Rush has shown be a talented defensive line player for Nevada.
Strengths
Korey Rush is a very explosive defensive linemen with the ability to break thru an opponents offensive line and disrupt the oppositions play. Rush’s skill in disrupting the offense was helpful in him being one of the best defensive linemen in the Mountain West in the 2018 season and was one of the reasons (along with the stellar play from Mailk Reed) that Nevada’s defense was one of the best run defenses in the conference.
Given his talents to help stop the run, Korey Rush could possibly parlay that talent into a spot on a NFL roster.
Weaknesses
For all of his explosiveness in attacking the line of scrimmage,you would think that would translate into double digit sacks for Rush. Well, that is not the case as he only tallied six sacks in his senior year and for his career, he only tallied 10.5 sacks. Given his position in college was at defensive end, Rush will have to learn how to rush the passer in order to make in at the next level.
Also, Rush is listed at six-foot, 270 pounds. That makes him undersized to play the defensive end position but he doesn’t quite have the weight to play in the interior defensive line in the NFL. Rush can bulk up to be able to play in the interior but given how this 2019 draft is full of talented defensive linemen, Rush’s chances of getting draft look to be pretty slim.
Draft Prediction
Korey Rush does have talent and that is predicated on being a tremendous run stopper, as he displayed during his career at Nevada. Due to his size, though, his lack of sacks in his time in Reno and an abundance of talented interior defensive linemen coming out this year, Rush could get lost in the shuffle but I do see a NFL team possibly using a late round pick on a talented run stopper with the potential to develop into a rotational pass rusher.
Prediction: 7th Round Pick or UDFA
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