A week after the NFL Draft, ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. remains a big fan of Michigan State’s Justin Layne. Kiper named Layne, now with the Pittsburgh Steelers, as one of his 15 rookies who could make an immediate impact in 2019.
Source: Spartan Tailgate
Justin Layne was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round (No. 83 overall) of the 2019 National Football League Draft on Friday, April 26.
When the second round begins Friday night, cornerback Justin Layne could hear his name early while safety Khari Willis is also likely to get drafted sometime in the second or third round.
Source: Detroit News
Michigan State football’s draft streak is at 78 years, including all 51 of them since the NFL-AFL merger. Brian Allen extended that streak last year when the Los Angeles Rams took the center in the fourth round. Justin Layne and Khari Willis are most likely to keep it going. And the Spartans’ two former secondary stars are making late surges up draft boards.
Source: Detroit Free Press
ESPN NFL Draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay agree the best time to take a cornerback in this year’s class is between the middle of the first round and end of the third. That’s the range both expect to see Michigan State’s Justin Layne taken off the board.
Source: Spartan Tailgate
There’s no bad blood between Mark Dantonio and Justin Layne. Michigan State’s head coach and the talented cornerback had a difference of opinion late last season when Layne’s plans to jump to the NFL as a junior included skipping the Spartans’ Redbox Bowl game against Oregon. Dantonio called Layne’s decision “disappointing” in December, but Dantonio made it clear there’s no rift between the two.
Source: Spartan Tailgate
The Michigan State football program hosted its annual Pro Day at the Duffy Daugherty Building on Monday. Eight players from the 2018 team – offensive guard David Beedle, linebacker Andrew Dowell, cornerback Justin Layne, defensive tackle Gerald Owens, linebacker Jon Reschke, running back LJ Scott, tight end Matt Sokol and safety Khari Willis – auditioned in front of National Football League scouts and personnel in preparation for the upcoming NFL Draft.
Source: Michigan State University Athletics
Cornerback Justin Layne is widely considered to be one of the best defensive backs in the draft. At the NFL Combine, Layne ran a 4.50 40-yard dash at nearly 6’2, 192 pounds. Considering his outstanding length (80-inch wingspan) and his elite production (15 pass deflections in 2018), it’s not hard to see why NFL teams love him.
Source: Spartans Wire
On the final day of the NFL Combine, former Spartans Justin Layne and Khari Willis had their turn to impress NFL coaches and personnel as the defensive backs performed on-field testing at Lucas Oil Stadium on Monday.
“I’ve talked to a lot of teams,” Layne said on Sunday. “(They say) I’ve got good size, good upside, I use my length to my advantage and they just want to see how fast I am. I’m ready to show them that.” The cornerbacks are set to run on Monday, and Layne has one thing on his mind. “(Show them) that I’m fast,” he said. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I could.”
Source: Detroit News
How many former Michigan State players will be picked in the NFL draft and when will their names be called? That obviously won’t be known until the draft, which is still two months away. However, the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, which begins today and wraps up on March 4, can factor heavily in players’ draft stock.
Source: mlive.com
“He’s somebody that I think, if he runs well you’re gonna hear a lot about him coming out of the Combine because the tape’s really good,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said. “He’s somebody that I’m definitely intrigued by.”
Source: Detroit News
The former Michigan State cornerback is in Phoenix preparing for the NFL draft and embarking on a professional career comes with a new approach. “It’s all on me,” Layne said Monday night in a phone interview with MLive. “I’m not going to let myself down, I’m not going to short myself.”
Source: mlive.com
Michigan State hasn’t had a first-round pick in the NFL Draft since offensive tackle Jack Conklin went No. 8 overall to Tennessee in 2016, and it looks like the Spartans will get shut out of the opening round again this year. At least, that’s the way ESPN Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. sees things at this point, a little more than a week before the NFL Combine begins in Indianapolis.
Source: Detroit News
Josiah Scott hadn’t played a single snap of college football. That didn’t stop Mark Dantonio from heaping lofty praise on the true freshman cornerback. “He’s probably got a lot of the same type of mental makeup that Darqueze Dennard had,” Dantonio said in fall camp before the start of the 2017 season. “He’s very mature, he’s going to work extremely hard and he’s very sure of himself and confident. He has a skill set like that.”
Source: MLive.com
Michigan State could have four representatives in Indianapolis next month for the NFL Combine. The league announced Justin Layne, LJ Scott, Khari Willis, and Felton Davis III all received invites to participate in the scouting event at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Source: Spartan Tailgate
The 2018-2019 NFL season has officially ended, which means all eyes are on the upcoming Draft in April. The Michigan State Spartans own the third-longest draft streak in all of college football by having at least one player selected to the pros in each of the last 78 years.
Source: The Only Colors
Justin Layne announced last week he’s forgoing his final season of eligibility and entering the NFL Draft. Mark Dantonio confirmed Layne will not play in the Redbox Bowl on Dec. 31 against Oregon and is no longer with the team. “Justin Layne has left the football team, so obviously he won’t be playing in the bowl game,” Dantonio said during his press conference announcing the 2019 recruiting class.
Source: Detroit News
Justin Layne made it official on Friday night. He’s headed to the NFL draft. Layne posted a letter addressed to Spartan Nation that not only was full of thanks but also said that, “after much thought and consideration,” his intention to forego his senior season and enter the 2019 draft.
Source: Detroit Free Press