Temple defensive back Rock Ya-Sin was taken in the second round of the NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts with the No. 34 overall pick.
Ya-Sin, who transferred to Temple for his senior year after being a standout at Presbyterian College. Ya-Sin jumped up draft boards after an impressive year with the Owls, tallying two interceptions and breaking up 12 passes.
The Georgia native also helped himself with a strong Senior Bowl, cementing himself as a top-40 pick. He joins former Temple defensive back Nate Hairston in the Colts' secondary.
"Ya-Sin has ideal size, speed, toughness and ball skills," NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah wrote earlier in the draft process. "In off-coverage, he has quick feet, and he's very fluid when he turns and opens up. He doesn't waste steps on his plant and drive _ he closes in a hurry. In press coverage, Ya-Sin needs to do a better job of using his hands, and he will occasionally get turned around versus shiftier wideouts.
"Fortunately, he has the speed to recover when he's caught out of position," added Jeremiah, who projected Ya-Sin to go No. 20 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. "He finds the ball in the air and gets his hands on a lot of footballs. He's very aggressive in run support, and he's a reliable tackler in space. Overall, Ya-Sin has the competitiveness and athleticism to develop into a quality NFL starter."
