Pride of Detroit
On Monday, the Detroit Lions opted not to drag out the Terrion Arnold legal drama and just end things with their 2024 first-round pick. Arnold was unceremoniously released just hours after a Florida judge awarded him a bond set at $1 million. It’s a stunning end to his Lions career, but instead of watching Arnold’s serious and complicated case drag on for months, if not years, they’ve decided to move on.
That leaves the Lions secondary in a vulnerable spot. We’ve already discussed some of the free agent options Detroit could pursue at cornerback, and some of the internal choices on the roster to fill Arnold’s starting role, but let’s focus our discussion today on one, single player.
Today’s Question of the Day is:
My answer: Let’s look at the entirety of Ya-Sin’s career.
Drafted 34th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, Ya-Sin tallied 29 total starts in his first three seasons, including 13 during his rookie year. That first year was undoubtedly promising. He posted a 65.3 PFF grade, including an impressive 72.5 run defense grade–something that certainly appeals to the Lions. However, his coverage grades were inconsistent, at best. He graded out at 62.2, 48.2, and 72.4 from 2019 to 2021, and allowed a passer rating of 93.4 or higher in each of his first three years.
From there, he was sent to the Raiders in a rare player-for-player trade (Colts got Yannick Ngakoue). He played out the final year of his rookie contract there, posting an admirable 45 tackles, seven pass breakups, and a 65.7 PFF grade in nine starts. He also posted his best year in coverage earning a 65.8 PFF coverage grade and allowing just an 82.5 passer rating when targeted.
The next two years, he bounced between two very strong defenses in Baltimore and San Francisco, but only started one games between those two seasons. Then, he finally found his way to Detroit last year. As a reserve, Ya-Sin eventually found his way to the field to start six games and was a very pleasant surprise for the Lions. He posted the lowest passer rating allowed of his entire career (77.7), the most pass breakups in his career (nine), and earned a respectable 64.8 PFF coverage grade, good for 47th out of 120 qualifying cornerbacks.
It wasn’t all great, though. Ya-Sin had a rough year as a run defender, earning just a 50.8 PFF grade. He was also called for eight penalties, the most since his rookie season.
So with several different teams, Ya-Sin has stepped up and provided at least average play for the defense. But he hasn’t been relied upon to be a full-time starter since the Raiders traded for him in 2022. And if we’re being completely honest, the Lions didn’t re-sign him with the intention of starting him. There’s a reason he signed a one-year, $3.2 million deal this offseason.
That said, that contract is a significant...
