Rock Ya-Sin primed to thrive as a rookie for the Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts may have found a real gem in rookie cornerback Rock Ya-Sin.

The Indianapolis Colts have been building an impressive roster stocked with big-time talent on both sides of the ball. General manager Chris Ballard and company were incredibly patient in the 2019 NFL Draft, trading down multiple times to pick up extra draft capital. They did not make a first-round pick but did make three selections in the second round, with Temple cornerback Rock Ya-Sin being the first.

Ya-Sin is a tough and physical cornerback who showed impressive man-to-man skills in college. He is an in your face player who excelled in press coverage, showed incredible ability to mirror receivers and plays the ball in the air extremely well. He is also a tremendous run defender.

Ya-Sin will be in a fight for playing time as a rookie. The Indianapolis Colts have a strong stock of defensive backs, but Ya-Sin may be the most talented corner on the roster. Worst case, he appears to be in line to be the fourth cornerback for the Colts in 2018. However, if he can have a smooth transition to the next level, starting right away is not out of the question.

The trio ahead of him (Pierre Desir, Quincy Wilson and Kenny Moore) is solid, but there is an opportunity for improvement here. Ya-Sin certainly has the raw ability to beat at least one of those guys out.

According to Stephen Holder of the Athletic, Ya-Sin is making a strong bid for legitimate playing time.

"“Ya-Sin routinely made plays in coverage during offseason practices, proving he’s a quick study with his ability to absorb what he’s being taught both in terms of new techniques and a new defense.”“Ya-Sin made several interceptions in the handful of practices open to reporters, and when he wasn’t making a play on the ball, he was in good position to make throws difficult for the team’s quarterbacks.”"

As impressive as Ya-Sin has been early on, he should only get better once the pads come on. His toughness and physicality stand out as the best parts of Ya-Sin’s game. When the pads come on in training camp, he is going to be able to show his real value with his tough and sticky coverage.

Ya-Sin still has plenty to prove. He was primarily a man coverage player in college and the Colts run a lot of zone coverage. This will obviously bring a learning curve, but I am betting on Ya-Sin to figure it out. He is a player who can provide immediate value and a ton of long-term upside.