Indianapolis Colts cornerback Rock Ya-Sin shows growth in year three in the NFL.
When Rock Ya-Sin was drafted in the second round by the Indianapolis Colts in 2019, he entered the league with a lot of promise. Unfortunately for him and the Colts, the transition to the professional game was not as smooth as everyone had hoped.
Ya-Sin often struggled in coverage and developed a penalty problem, frequently getting his hands on receivers when he shouldn’t have. This led to many wanting to give up on the young corner after just two seasons.
However, Indianapolis decided to stick with him, and Ya-Sin seems to be turning a corner in his third season. He is by no means a shutdown corner right now, but he has made strides in his play.
One of the biggest marks of growth has been ridding himself of preventable penalties. The situations where Ya-Sin would usually reach his hands out and make illegal contact have turned into Ya-Sin remaining disciplined, staying in phase, and legally contesting the catch.
Was talking on radio about this very situation yesterday. This is the kind of scenario where Ya-Sin would have panicked in the past and grabbed the WR. He has resisted that urge this year and has just... played.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) November 16, 2021
Sounds simple but I guess is harder than it seems. https://t.co/ebxchNAPsM
Colts DB Rock Ya-Sin is finally avoiding penalties
Beyond the film, the numbers also demonstrate that Ya-Sin is trending in the right direction in terms of penalties. In 2019, his rookie season, Ya-Sin was flagged eight times. Four times for defensive holding, three times for defensive pass interference, and once for illegal contact.
In year two, 2020, Ya-Sin was flagged six total times — three for defensive pass interference, and one each for unnecessary roughness, illegal contact, and illegal use of hands.
In 2021, seven games for Ya-Sin, he has only been flagged once, and it was for defensive pass interference. With seven games left, let’s hope Ya-Sin continues to resist the urge of reverting to his old ways.
Omitting penalties is just one step in the development of Ya-Sin. He has flashed his abilities numerous times, but he must become consistent. He isn’t quite the level of player fans hoped they were getting, but he’s gradually moving in that direction.