The 2019 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. The Game Haus will be doing scouting reports on some of the top prospects in the 2019 NFL Draft. Temple cornerback Rock Ya-Sin has risen up draft boards in the last year ahead of the draft.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIqHS-eRr14

Background

Position: Cornerback

Class: Senior

2018 stats: 47 total tackles, two tackles for loss, two interceptions, 12 passes defended

Size: 6-foot, 192 pounds

Ya-Sin may not be as well known as other cornerbacks in the draft class, but that doesn’t mean he can’t play. He has risen from humble beginnings in the college football world to now being a solid cornerback prospect in this draft.

He flew under the radar as a high school athlete and signed on to play for Presbyterian College on the FCS level. Although he only started two games as a freshman, he did play in all 15 games. As a sophomore he broke the starting lineup and played solidly, but as a junior he took his game to another level with five interceptions. He made the All-Big South Team for his play and it allowed him to seek better opportunities for his senior season. Ya-Sin decided to go to Temple where he became one of the best cornerbacks in college football. He helped the Owls go 8-5 in his only season on Temple.

His draft stock went from being essentially non-existent to being a possible early draft pick through one solid season of FBS football. Now, Ya-Sin will be drafted before the second day of the 2019 NFL Draft comes to an end.

Strengths

Ya-Sin is good in man to man coverage, as he was asked to do it a lot at Temple. He stayed attached to his man and has the necessary competitive toughness to be able to hold up at the NFL level. His length should also cause some problems for wide receivers in the pros.

One of his other great traits is his strength. It is hard for receivers to separate, as they don’t have the strength to match Ya-Sin. He is fully capable of disrupting plays just by virtue of his strength. That includes throwing receivers off their routes and making tackles.

He is a willing contributor against the run, which is rare for corners. Ya-Sin will continually use his strength to shed blockers and make plays on the ball carrier. He also has a nose for the ball, helping track down ball carriers that may not be coming directly at him.

Weaknesses

His technique and footwork will need to be improved for him to be a successful corner. He can be beaten at the line of scrimmage and be slowed down by bad footwork. If he cleans up his footwork and technique it will make him quicker and more reliable in coverage.

Ya-Sin also doesn’t have great athleticism. He is being considered a top-five cornerback prospect in this draft class, but he might be the least athletic out of players getting consideration. He made up for it with his strength in college, but going up against the best athletes in football could pose a problem.

At Temple, Ya-Sin mostly played man coverage at Temple and did so well. He played zone coverage sparingly and showed some potential, but really shouldn’t be trusted in zone coverage yet in the NFL. With more experience he can be a solid zone corner, but he doesn’t have the necessary awareness and skill to be great at it yet.

Projected Draft Range: First Round-Third Round

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