Positional ranking: #2

Big Board ranking: #19

 

Overview

Position: CB

College: Michigan State

Class: Junior

Age: 21

 

Measurables

Height: 6’1 3/4″

Weight: 192 lbs.

Arm length: 33”

Hand size: 9 1/4″

 

Athletic testing

40-yard dash: 4.50 sec.

Vertical jump: 37.5”

Broad jump: 134.0”

Bench press: DNP

3-cone drill: 6.90 sec.

Short shuttle: 4.09 sec.

 

Strengths

Long, rangy corner with top-end movement skills. Scary combination of quickness, size, and pure cover ability. Plus athleticism. Uses length to control and frustrate receivers in press coverage. Has the speed to run with deep threats. Smooth hips allow him to easily transition into a full sprint. Superb instincts. Identifies route combinations in zone or off-man coverage. Plays the receiver’s hands and the ball to cause pass breakups. Experience at both left and right cornerback. Shows effort as a tackler and quickly reacts to plays in front of him. Former receiver that catches like it. Could have legitimate two-way versatility.

 

Weaknesses

Thin frame. Susceptible to quick in-breaking routes when playing off-man coverage. Can get handsy at the top of the route. Needs to get his head around more to locate the ball. Misses too many tackles in space.

 

NFL comparison

Jalen Ramsey – I think Justin Layne is almost a Ramsey clone with similar length, athleticism, cover ability, and ball skills as a dominant boundary corner.

 

Conclusion

Overall, Justin Layne is a prototypical press-man cornerback that could be a future All-Pro if he reaches his potential at the next level. I’ll likely have Layne as a top-20 prospect and No. 2 corner on my final Big Board.