Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-Round 2019 NFL mock draft nets potential starters
By Randy Gurzi
Round 2, Pick 52: Justin Layne, CB, Michigan State
Artie Burns was the No. 25 overall pick out of Miami in 2016 but hasn’t developed into the player the Steelers need him to be. After starting 16 games in 2017 and showing some progress, Burns took a big step backward this past year. Burns started only six games and received a poor 58.6 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
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With their 52nd pick in this draft, the Steelers add a player who could make Burns expendable in Justin Layne out of Michigan State. A long, athletic player, Layne could not only put Burns spot in jeopardy, but he could potentially fight for a starting job opposite Joe Haden.
Pittsburgh did add Steven Nelson in the offseason, but he was ranked 33rd at his position according to PFF which means nothing is guaranteed for him. As for Haden, he was actually graded lower than Nelson which highlights the need for someone like Layne even further — especially when you consider the fact that Haden is now 30-years old.
Layne measured in at the Combine at 6-2 and 192 pounds. His 40-yard dash time wasn’t ideal (4.5 seconds) but he’s going to win more with his size than anything else. In three seasons with the Spartans, he was credited with 130 tackles and had three career interceptions.
For more grades, advanced statistics and more at Pro Football Focus, subscribe to PFF’s EDGE or ELITE subscriptions at ProFootballFocus.com.