The Indianapolis Colts were hoping cornerback Rock Ya-Sin would take a major step forward during the 2020 season and become a reliable starter on the outside of the secondary, but that development hit some turbulence with and up-and-down campaign.
Ya-Sin had his moments where he was showing that he’s making strides, but there were also some plays that were disappointing for the Temple product.
Even though the perception may be a bit more negative than positive, general manager Chris Ballard and the Colts are showing patience with the young cornerback. They still believe he can reach his ceiling and be an impact player.
“Rock had his good moments and he had his rough moments, no different than a lot of second-year corners,” Ballard said in his year-end press conference on Thursday. “I’ll tell you a story, I’m reminded of Charles Tillman, who I think is a Hall of Fame player. I’ll never forget, I think it was Charles’ 2nd or 3rd year playing, we played Carolina in the playoffs and Steve Smith just had a monster day against him. Charles Tillman went on to have a great career.”
Ya-Sin had his moments where he shined, like the diving interception he made against Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Then there’s the fact that he allowed a 105.5 passer rating in coverage on the season, per Pro Football Focus.
It was clear that teams had a game plan to target Ya-Sin, hoping for a reception or a penalty at the least. Of the latter, Ya-Sin was tied for the lead in the secondary with six on the season.
But Ballard still has hope and attributes to some of Ya-Sin’s struggles to how difficult the adjustment can be for some players in the NFL.
“It’s hard to play corner in this league. The rules make it hard. They call PI on any freaking bump that happens. It is very difficult to play corner,” Ballard said. “Rock knows he has to make some improvement. But I think he has the right mental attitude to do it. We think he will work and get better.”
There is no denying the Colts have to make some additions in the secondary this offseason, but they still believe Ya-Sin is a part of the future of that unit moving forward.
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