With the No. 34 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected cornerback Rock Ya-Sin out of Temple. With one season under his belt, we take a look back at his rookie season.

Overview

It was an up and down season for Ya-Sin. He was thrust into a starting role early in the season but it was clear why the Colts liked him so much at the beginning of the second round. Even with his rookie moments, he flashed enough early on to warrant a starting role on the boundary.

The middle of the season was rough for the Temple product, especially the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos games. But he bounced back nicely during the second half of the season as he got more comfortable with his assignments while his technique began to show improvements.

When looking at Ya-Sin’s season overall, he showed flashes that should warrant optimism looking ahead.

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Best Game

Ya-Sin’s best game of the season came in Week 10 against the Miami Dolphins. It wound up being a somber end for the Colts given that they lost at home to a poor Dolphins team, but this was when Ya-Sin truly turned the corner for his rookie season.

Ya-Sin was targeted six times while allowing three receptions for just 20 yards and a 57.6 passer rating, per Pro Football Focus. He also had a pass breakup in the game. Ya-Sin was tasked with covering Davante Parker a lot but didn’t allow a single reception to the breakout wide receiver.

Worst Game

This was a toss-up. It could go either way between the Week 7 game against the Texans or the Week 8 game against the Broncos. We are going to go with the latter here. It was a tough matchup to begin with going against Courtland Sutton but once they were lined up across from each other, it was no contest.

Ya-Sin allowed four receptions on six targets for 75 yards. While he was getting worked over by Sutton for the majority of the game, the worst part was the five penalties Ya-Sin committed. It truly was a rookie moment.

Outlook

Given his decent start and strong finish for the majority of the second half, Ya-Sin has a bright future in the Colts defense. He’s physical, tough and has the technique to be a strong starting asset on the boundary. There are still some quirks to work out, but there should be plenty of excitement for his progress.

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