Colts 2019 rookie recap: Rock Ya-Sin

We dive into our rookie recap series, starting with the first pick that the Colts had in the 2019 draft. How did the rookie corner do in his first season?

The Colts decided to move down in the 2019 draft. They had a first round pick, but traded down to accumulate more picks. The first pick they did make in the draft was not until Friday, where they selected Rock Ya-Sin 34th overall in the second round as a cornerback out of Temple.

Ya-Sin was projected to be a starter opposite of Pierre Desir, and that’s exactly what he was. His rookie season was filled with ups and downs, as most rookie seasons are. He finished with 61 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, five passes broken up, 1 interception, and 1 forced fumble.

There were times where he looked overmatched. In the middle of the season, Ya-Sin lost confidence in his technique and got burned badly. In the Denver game, he got flagged five times in that game for various penalties. He was torched so badly that fans were calling for him to be benched.

He got a little better late in the season as far as not committing penalties, but he still got burned on several occasions. Quite frankly, the whole secondary did. He gets more leeway because he is just a rookie who is trying to learn the NFL game.

Early in the year, Ya-Sin flashed the abilities that made him be the first guy the Colts drafted. He is big for a corner and has long arms. When he trusts his technique, he can be a physical corner that locks down a wide receiver. He just needs more work in the offseason to help with that.

It didn’t help that Ya-Sin battled some injuries. He had an ankle injury that cost him a game late in the season. It was a nagging injury that had to be dealt with. Hopefully he can get stronger in the offseason and avoid any injuries next year.

Overall, Ya-Sin was about average. He was expected to be better, and should be better with a full offseason under his belt. Expect him to play at a much higher level in 2020.