Selecting Justin Layne in 2019 NFL Draft could help Rams in long run

With the 2019 NFL Draft officially less than two weeks away, Justin Layne is another name worth monitoring for the Los Angeles Rams.

Unfortunately for the Los Angeles Rams, it’s kind of difficult to determine what to expect from the NFC champions when it comes to the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, mainly because there’s a good chance they will end up going with the best player available.

As exciting as it is to see the Rams have a first-round pick for the first time during the Sean McVay era at No. 31, trying to figure out which direction the team will lean towards in the first round has been a little bit of a challenge.

From adding depth to the offensive line after losing Rodger Saffold and John Sullivan this offseason to bringing on another linebacker to boost the defense, Los Angeles has a few different directions they can focus on with that first selection.

In fact, the Rams could even pull off a surprise move by going with a cornerback in the first round since despite having Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib at the moment, there is some uncertainty beyond the 2019 season.

While there’s always the hope of things working out good enough for Peters in 2019 to eventually earn a long-term deal with the team, Los Angeles knows that Talib isn’t getting any younger, and it’s only a matter of time before the veteran decides to call it a career.

Luckily for the Rams, this year’s draft class is filled with plenty of great cornerbacks for the team to consider, even if they decided to wait until one of the later rounds.

Moving forward, one player at the position worth keeping an eye on for Los Angeles could be Michigan State’s Justin Layne since he reportedly visited the team’s facility recently.

Depending on how confident the Rams are feeling, Layne may even be worth considering for that No. 31 pick, although as mentioned before, this will most likely come down to which players are available at certain positions as well.

Still, just the fact that Los Angeles brought Layne in for a visit shows cornerback seems to be one of the options they strongly seem to be considering with their first selection, and like most rookies, he certainly could bring a lot to the table.

Whether it’s his ability to adjust on certain routes or the impressive arm length, Layne seems like the kind of player that Wade Phillips would love to work with on the defensive side of the football.

No matter what it takes, the Rams will conduct as much evaluating as possible during this final stretch leading up to the draft to make sure they find a way to add the necessary talent to put them in the best position possible to compete in 2019.

Layne’s visit may not guarantee this is the direction Los Angeles is leaning towards, but at least it provides another hint over potential prospects to keep an eye on once the draft does get underway.