After earning his way into Steelers lineup late in 2019, Justin Layne aims higher in 2020

When the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff made the conscious decision to activate cornerback Justin Layne for the final six games of the season — choosing the rookie over veteran Artie Burns — it was a landmark moment in Layne’s young NFL career.

After all, it signified that the Steelers viewed the third-round pick as a legitimate option to play in a regular-season game (his previous activations were because of injury elsewhere in the lineup).

But to Layne, it wasn’t a banner day when he was “given a hat” for the Nov. 23 game at Cincinnati, nor for any of the five games that followed. It was mere confirmation of what he believed all along.

“It didn’t really mean anything to me — me getting a hat, me personally, that’s expected,” Layne said. “I know what type of player I am. But it’s just how the eggs laid. Only so much you can control — but I know I am definitely good enough to get a helmet every week. It’s just learning and trying to figure out where I fit in at.”

That will be one of the questions to be answered at this coming summer’s training camp — where Layne fits in among a crowded Steelers secondary. Third-round picks aren’t taken to be backups, but with well-paid veterans Joe Haden and Steve Nelson entrenched as starters on the outside, Mike Hilton a good fit for the slot and Cameron Sutton a reliable, jack-of-all-trades reserve, there isn’t much room for Layne.

Justin Layne says of all his #Browns paraphernalia is gone “Literally everything; every flag I had. Everything. So, it’s all done. We are fully committed (to the #Steelers).” https://t.co/df3gX8H4dO

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) May 12, 2019

Layne did not play a snap on defense this season, which in some ways was not all that unexpected considering he was a wide receiver until just 2½ years before he was drafted.

“It’s definitely different,” Layne said of not playing after being a 2½-year starter at Michigan State. “But I feel like I am adjusting well, just trying to get better every day and just keep trying to learn from everything that happened this year — that’s the main thing.”

At 6-foot-2, 192 pounds and with good quickness, it’s easy to see why the Steelers are intrigued by Layne’s potential. Layne said “for sure, definitely” he feels as if he has improved since he first stepped into the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex after the draft in April.

Enough so that he is hopeful to force his way into the defensive game plan and carve out a role for 2020.

“I know what I am going to do this offseason, what I need to work on, what I need to do,” Layne said. “That’s the main thing.”

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