Yahoo Sports' top 2019 NFL draft prospects: Michigan State CB Justin Layne
6-foot-2, 192 pounds
The lowdown: As a wide receiver his freshman season, Layne caught one 11-yard pass. The Spartans coaches converted him to cornerback midway through that year, and he didn’t take long to make his impact felt at the new spot, running back an interception 43 yards for a touchdown in his first start against Northwestern. After starting five games his first season, Layne became a full-time starter in 2017 (being named honorable mention all-Big Ten) and earned second-team all-conference merit in 2018 before skipping the Redbox Bowl and declaring for the draft.
Layne, who turned 21 in January, was among the leaders in FBS with 15 passes defended in 2018. He uses his 33-inch arms and great length to deny receivers the ball, but don’t overlook Layne’s good instincts and receiver background in the equation. Although Layne isn’t blazingly fast, he moves efficiently and can cover receivers with even faster speed than his timed 40 of 4.5 seconds. Some teams are projecting him to be most effective in a press-man system, but it appears that Layne has enough versatility to his game to not be branded a scheme-specific defender.
With this kind of length and improved diagnostic skills, there’s a reason he has risen late in the draft process. Scouts have given him longer looks since Layne declared and feel that some of his technical shortcomings, such as false steps in coverage, can be cleaned up in time. He’s likely never going to be a stick-um corner who can handle elite quickness, and Layne needs to demonstrate better run-support skills and show a little more grit in his approach, but he has everything in his toolbox to end up being the eventual CB1 in this class down the road.
Fun fact: The Spartans have had success with position switches before. Like Layne, Tony Lippett started out as a wide receiver, and he moved to cornerback for the Spartans before playing both positions as a senior out of need. He was drafted as a corner by the Miami Dolphins and is now with the New York Giants. Jeremy Langford didn’t have extended NFL success, but he also switched positions – from running back to cornerback and then back to RB – that ended up helping him in college and the pros. Safety Montae Nicholson also was tried at receiver at times early in his career.
Draft range: Top 40 pick, possible late first-rounder.
