The Detroit Lions have suffered injuries up and down the roster all season, but no position group has been hit worse than the cornerback room. Injuries to Terrion Arnold and DJ Reed forced the Lions to completely revamp their CB rotation.
Amid all the absences, one under-the-radar offseason signing has emerged as a quality backup for the Lions: Rock Ya-Sin.
Rock Ya-Sin Has Come Up Huge During the Lions' Desperate CB Need
When Ya-Sin signed a one-year deal with the Lions in the offseason, not many expected him to be a contributor, at least on the defensive side of the ball. In his last two seasons in the NFL, with the Ravens and the 49ers, the veteran defender had played a significant majority of his snaps on special teams. He was seen as a deep bench option behind the likes of Reed, Arnold, Amik Robertson, Avonte Maddox, and even Khalil Dorsey.
Fast forward a few months, and Ya-Sin has emerged as a very reliable member of the rotation. He got the start against the Eagles in Week 11 in Arnold's absence and played a season-high 71 snaps. Per Pro Football Focus, he delivered his best performance of the season, receiving a 73.4 defensive and 78.6 coverage grade. He allowed a 62.5 passer rating in coverage.
For the season, the 29-year-old CB has a 63.2 defensive grade and a 65.7 coverage grade on PFF, both significantly higher than Amik Robertson and Terrion Arnold.
Perhaps the most impressive stat from Sunday came from Next Gen Stats, which revealed that Ya-Sin spent 19.4 seconds within one yard of AJ Brown against the Eagles. This was the second-most time in tight coverage the star wide receiver faced in a matchup in his career. Ya-Sin ended up holding Brown to four receptions for 39 yards on eight targets.
Ya-Sin is proving himself to be one of the most underrated additions the Lions made this season. He gives the team valuable insurance as Arnold and Reed are returning from injuries. Arnold is still in the concussion protocol, and Reed just saw his practice window open last week.
Ya-Sin's performance should give the Lions a reason not to rush Reed's return. Reed could give the Lions a big boost defensively, but hamstrings are notoriously tricky, and returning early can create complications later. If Reed isn't 100% ready to go against the Giants in Week 12, the Lions should feel comfortable giving Ya-Sin his fourth start of the season.