Justin Layne is a very, very good cornerback. He will, without a doubt, be the highest Michigan State player selected this year in the NFL Draft after the team had a bit of down year in 2018. However, most mock drafts up until recently had Justin Layne placed firmly in the second round.
For example, DraftWire’s latest seven-round mock draft by Luke Easterling had Justin Layne placed firmly at the end of the second round, coming in as the No. 61 prospect overall. Dane Brugler, of The Athletic, had Layne slightly higher on his board at No. 40 overall.
That’s why it came as a surprise yesterday when ESPN’s draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. slipped in, on his annual teleconference with media members, that Michigan State’s stud corner could even make his way to the end of the First Round. He had this to say about the young defensive back:
“Layne, you’d certainly watch him in coverage, I think every game you could see the improvement. Then you test out and you have the length obviously that everybody wants in a corner. Everything about him to me indicates he could be a late first. He could be one of those guys that didn’t necessarily get mocked as a late first but goes in the late first.”
He mentioned that the AFC West powerhouse Kansas City Chiefs could select him with their No. 29 pick in the draft, bolstering an already loaded team.
