Player: Arquon Bush
School: Cincinnati
Measurables:
- Height: 6’0 (NFL Combine)
- Weight: 187 (NFL Combine)
- 40: 4.54 (NFL Combine)
- 10 Yard Split: 1.55 (NFL Combine)
- Bench: DNP
- Vertical Jump: 33.5” (NFL Combine)
- Broad Jump: 9’7” (NFL Combine)
- 3 Cone: DNP
- 20 Yard Shuttle: DNP
Graded Position Specific Traits:
- Man Coverage: 4.25/10
- Zone Coverage: 5/10
- Field Vision: 4.75/10
- Tackling: 5/10
- Run Support: 4.5/10
- Range: 4.75/10
Prospect Grade: 28.25/60; 47.1%- Special teamer who needs time before he works his way into being a role player
Projected Draft Day: Round 6-PFA
Player Comparison: Mark Webb
Player Summary:
Bush is a player I’ve been excited about since last year. When I turned on the tape I wasn’t impressed, and was pretty disappointed. Bush lacks top end speed and it shows on tape. He plays off probably 90-95% of the time, and I suspect it’s to protect himself from getting burnt. He gives receivers a pretty big cushion in coverage and it results in Bush giving up anything underneath which doesn’t play to any strength he has. He struggles to get off blocks and his tackling is spotty. In zone, his spatial awareness and vision can be spotty at times. There’s times where it seems like he doesn’t realize what’s going on around him. His eyes can be absolutely locked in the backfield at times. When he’s in coverage he can get super handsy and grabby, which is a huge concern for me.
I went back to Bush’s 2021 tape, which I liked more than his 2022 tape at outside CB, but wasn’t in love with it. What I did notice is that he’s not that bad when he’s matched up on TEs. Bush has flexibility across the secondary as he’s played snaps at all secondary spots during his time at Cincinnati. I could see someone taking a chance on Bush late on Day 3, but I could also see him being a priority free agent. Either way, I think Bush is going to be fighting for a roster spot this summer. It’s possible he ends up on the practice squad, but I think he will find a spot as a special teamer. In terms of playing defense, the team that drafts him will need to figure out where they want to play him. I would suggest moving him back to nickel or taking a look at him as a potential safety, but either way he’s going to need some time before working his way into a role player.