Kansas City Chiefs: A deeper look at Michigan State corner Justin Layne

Could Justin Layne of Michigan State interest the Kansas City Chiefs in the early rounds of the 2019 NFL Draft?

The Kansas City Chiefs have been running to ground almost any draft prospect that can play cornerback. We’ve looked at Clemson’s Trayvon Mullen, Kentucky’s Lonnie Johnson and Washington’s Byron Murphy just to name a few. Today, we take a look at Michigan State’s Justin Layne, a junior corner prospect from Michigan State.

Originally recruited to East Lansing as a wide receiver, the Spartan corner has great size and is a good athlete for the position. Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press answered a few questions to provide some insight about the potential Chiefs draft prospect.

Was Justin Layne’s NFL declaration expected?

Coming into 2018, I felt Layne – with his size, speed and ball skills – was the best underclass candidate to leave MSU early. His play throughout the season, but particularly against Arizona State, showed that to be correct.

What does Layne do best?

Run in coverage. The WR speed shows.

Conversely, where does Layne most need to improve?

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Build strength. He’s young – did not redshirt.

What is, in general, the most impressive aspect about Justin Layne?

Consistency. Even when he did get beat for a TD, it usually was the result of a good play by the WR or throw by the QB.

Did Layne play primarily man coverage or zone coverage at Michigan State?

Press man. 

Can/will Layne tackle?

Yes, another surprise when you see a guy move from WR to CB. He is a physical all-around Ohio football player, not just a pass catcher.

What kind of person is Layne on the field? In the locker room?

Swag. Not afraid to talk trash. By all accounts a solid teammate, though the decision to sit out the Redbox Bowl did appear to irk coaches more than players.  

Who is Layne off the field? With student body/ fans in general?

He was not really outgoing or MIA, very much a guy who does his job and focused on that

Whomever selects Layne, what type of player are they bringing into their organization?

A football player. Played a number of snaps on offense out of necessity last season and flashed his speed on go routes, though the QB connection wasn’t there because he spent so much time on defense.

Willing to play in-your-face football. Elite CB swagger. A guy who studies film, understands concepts and make plays.

My thoughts:

It appears based on the players the Chiefs have brought in for visits, including the aforementioned Lonnie Johnson and Central Michigan’s Sean Bunting, the Chiefs are targeting corners past the first round. Perhaps the Chiefs are targeting a trade of some kind (Frank Clark?) or anticipate moving down.

Layne is a high-ceiling/low-floor prospect that could become the top player in the class or could wash out of the league in a few years if he can’t develop and refine some of the finer techniques of the position.

I like the long-term potential of Layne, but the fact the Chiefs may need more out of him as a rookie than perhaps he’s able to provide brings into question his viability for the Chiefs this draft.