5 Steelers who are facing their last chance in training camp

Steelers Justin Layne

To say Justin Layne hasn’t lived up to his third-round billing so far would be an understatement. Despite having ideal measurables and the ability to play man defense, Layne was raw coming out of Michigan St. and hasn’t shown a lot of defensive capabilities as a pro so far. With the Steeler having a starting cornerback job up for grabs, the expectation should be that the former third-round pick is the favorite to get the nod there. As it sits though, it will likely be last year’s undrafted rookie James Pierre that will be getting the first nod there.

This is a big blow for Layne, as his limited defensive snaps saw him get picked on by opposing offenses. If he can’t contend for a starting role by his third season, more than likely he will be limited to special teams only going forward. He is fine in that department, but it isn’t like he is any sort of elite player there either.

While doesn’t have to win the starting corner spot outright, he at least needs to make the battle competitive in camp. If not, he could end up getting cut in favor of a higher upside player like Mark Gilbert. Layne will offer some special teams’ value to the league if that did happen, but being an average special teams player only gets you so far. Layne needs to flash some real talent if he doesn’t want 2021 to be his final in the league.