Kansas City Chiefs: 7-Round 2019 NFL mock draft after free agency
With the 29th overall pick in this mock draft, the Kansas City Chiefs add some much needed help to their secondary with the selection of Michigan State cornerback Justin Layne.
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In Kendall Fuller, the Chiefs have one solid option at the cornerback position and have some functional depth with guys like Bashaud Breeland, Tremon Smith and Charvarius Ward. However, their overall talent at the position is undoubtedly lacking. Layne would provide some much-needed top-end potential to the mix for Kansas City.
A converted wide receiver, Layne has impressive overall size and length for the cornerback position and he uses it extremely well in coverage. He gets a strong punch at the line of scrimmage in press coverage and rides his receiver upfield well. He has a smooth backpedal and understands route concepts well, often getting in position to make a play on the ball due to simply knowing what the receiver will do.
Layne locates the ball in the air well and uses his long arms to knock passes away with regularity. His ability to quickly plant and drive forward in off coverage is also awfully impressive.
Simply put, Layne is a talented cornerback prospect who shows impressive natural ability in both man and zone coverage. He is a dependable player who could come in and fight for a starting job in the Chiefs’ secondary right away and also provide some strong long-term upside. Rock solid pick for the Kansas City Chiefs here at an obvious position of need.