The Las Vegas Raiders have made a ton of huge moves this offseason, including the trade to acquire superstar wide receiver Davante Adams from the Green Bay Packers and the free agency addition of Chandler Jones. One move that has flown relatively under-the-radar is the addition of cornerback Rock Ya-Sin in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts.
Ya-Sin comes into Las Vegas looking for a fresh start. The former second-round pick never caught on 100 percent with the Colts, although there is a ton of potential and talent for him to work with.
One NFL scout spoke to NFL Analysis Network about Ya-Sin and what the future could hold for him with the Raiders.
“Look, this is a make or break kind of season for Rock (Ya-Sin). The Raiders are getting a guy who could turn into a legitimate star if he reaches his full potential. Or, if he fails to succeed, his career could be very close to being over. This is as big of a year as it gets for any young player.”
During the 2021 NFL season with the Colts, Ya-Sin ended up recording 31 total tackles to go along with a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and eight defended passes. He didn’t record a single interception last season. In his first three seasons, Ya-Sin has only come away with two interceptions total.
Perhaps the biggest issue that Rock Ya-Sin has had during his short career has been penalty issues. Ya-Sin is a physical corner that likes to put his hands on opposing receivers. Unfortunately, that is something that cornerbacks simply cannot do in today’s game.
At just 25 years of age, there is still plenty of time for Ya-Sin to figure things out. If he can do that, the Raiders will be feeling very good about trading Yannick Ngakoue to the Colts to get him. On the other hand, if he can’t, this is a move that could go down as a major miss and a disappointment.
This is going to be a very interesting season to watch Ya-Sin’s development. The Raiders feel good about getting him from Indianapolis, but only time will tell. If he reaches his full potential, Las Vegas will be feeling like they got a major steal in the trade.
