Well, it took long enough for Justin Layne to be drafted. Despite being tagged as a potential first-round talent by Mel Kiper Jr., Justin Layne was selected in the Third Round of the NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, #83 overall.
The Steelers have a great track record for drafting Michigan State players. They drafted Le’Veon Bell in 2013 and Plaxico Burress back in 2000, both players went on to highly successful careers.
This is ultimately closer to where Layne was anticipated to be drafted back during the season. Initially penciled in as a mid-round prospect, it wasn’t until the combine where Layne started to gain steam as a first or second round player after he measured out as, essentially, the prototypical NFL cornerback.
For what it’s worth, Layne did not seem phased by his slide down the draft:
Notably, the selection of Layne extends Michigan State’s streak of 79 straight seasons of having a player drafted to the NFL.
