Justin
Layne.
Justin
Layne.
Michigan State· 6'2"· 192 lb· 4.50s 40
Layne is best suited for a Cover-3 dominant system due to his length and zone play.
Initially a rotational boundary corner, Layne has the upside to develop into a starting outside cornerback capable of playing all three downs.
He would struggle as a primary slot corner in a defense that consistently asks its defensive backs to play in off-man against shifty receivers.
His physical traits and zone acumen make him a solid fit for defenses prioritizing length and toughness on the outside.
Selected #83 overall in Round 3 of the 2019 NFL Draft by Pittsburgh Steelers out of Michigan State.
Relative Athletic Score (Kent Lee Platte) benchmarks combine/pro-day numbers against every measured prospect at the position since 1987. 10.00 is elite; 5.00 is average.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.50sp50
- Vertical
- 37.5inp50
- Broad jump
- 134inp50
- Three-cone
- 6.90sp50
- Shuttle
- 4.09sp50
- Bench
- —rep
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Michigan State | 9 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 | Michigan State | 13 | 40 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| 2018 | Michigan State | 12 | 62 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 |
| Career | — | 34 | 120 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 0 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Justin Layne played four seasons in the NFL, primarily with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he contributed mostly on special teams and as a reserve cornerback. He also had brief stints with the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers.