Most Likely AFC Playoffs Wild Card Round Opponent,…

JJ Stankevitz: Good eye, Paul – Ya-Sin has had a solid Year 3 with the Colts. Among cornerbacks with at least 350 coverage snaps, the 25 receptions allowed by Ya-Sjn are second-lowest in the NFL and the 231 yards he’s allowed are third-lowest. He’s ninth in yards per reception allowed (9.2), one-tenth of a yard behind Los Angeles Rams superstar Jalen Ramsey. Ya-Sin’s PFF coverage grade of 73.4 is 20th, and he’s one of 27 cornerbacks to have three or fewer penalties assessed to him this season.

Compare all that to Ya-Sin’s first two years in the NFL, in which he allowed 79 receptions for 1,191 yards (15.1 yards/reception) and was penalized 15 times. His PFF coverage grade of 54.8 in that span was 26th-lowest among cornerbacks with at least 500 coverage snaps.

Veteran cornerback Xavier Rhodes said last week he’s been impressed with Ya-Sin’s consistency in working on the details of his technique. Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, too, has been impressed with the growth Ya-Sin has made in Year 3.

“The physical side of it, there’s more poise at the top of the routes, at the end of the routes,” Eberflus said. “There’s more poise there. He’s learning how to use his abilities to keep his hands down and to have that poise and to bust the triangle open at the top. So, he’s done a good job with that.

“Then, really just the mental side of it, he’s always been a positive guy. He’s always been positive, he’s always had self-belief. He believes in our system, he believes in the players around him and he’s a consummate pro that way.”

And just as an aside, I’ve seen some folks consider the Colts’ 2019 draft class as a “down” year – probably because 2018 and 2020 have been so wildly successful. But even in a “down” year, the Colts added Ya-Sin, Bobby Okereke and Khari Willis – three starters on defense – as well as special teams ace E.J. Speed.

Most teams wouldn’t consider that to be suboptimal.