EAST LANSING, MI - NOVEMBER 10: Justin Layne #2 of the Michigan State Spartans breaks up a pass next to Terry McLaurin #83 of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half at Spartan Stadium on November 10, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

For the Cleveland Browns, their future is now

For the Cleveland Browns, their future is now by Elliot Kennel

The Cleveland Browns have become a destination team, and Cleveland native Justin Layne wants to be brought by the Browns in the 2019 NFL Draft.

With the Cleveland Browns quickly becoming contenders for the AFC Championship, and even possibly a Super Bowl contender, players now want to don the brown and orange.

The Browns have lured some of the best veterans in the league to Cleveland, but now draft prospects have a desire to be drafted by the Browns in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Cleveland native and Michigan State cornerback Justin Layne tweeted Wednesday that the Browns should draft him and bring him back to his hometown.

Go ahead and bring me home ! @Browns https://t.co/ThVlTuzV8s — Justin Layne ™ (@_jlayne) March 20, 2019

Layne played football for Benedictine High School, located just outside of downtown Cleveland. Since being in the draft process, the 21-year-old has expressed his desire to be drafted by the Browns multiple times.

During Layne’s time with the media at the NFL Combine, he explained how potentially playing for the Browns has popped in his head a few times – via Nick Shook of ClevelandBrowns.com.

“I think about it all the time,” Layne said when asked if he’s considered playing for the Browns. “My dad (is) a diehard Browns fan. He got the bathroom painted, the house, the basement painted Browns, everything. I’ve always kind of been a Browns fan growing up. “We always used to watch the Browns game every Sunday. If I mentioned anything about the Steelers, he’d say ‘uh, yeah, we’re not having that.’ Like, everything. He’s a diehard.”

For Layne, there is a good possibility he is on Browns general manager John Dorsey’s radar in the 2019 NFL Draft. Although the Browns drafted Denzel Ward last off-season, another Cleveland native, the Browns could be looking to add a young No. 2 cornerback to pair with Ward.

Layne is projected to be selected in the middle rounds of the 2019 NFL Draft. But over the course of the draft process, Layne’s stock seems to have slowly risen.

With the Browns having the 49th and 80th selections in the upcoming draft, Layne will have a couple of opportunities to be selected by Cleveland if his stock truly is a mid-round selection. He has already been projected to be selected by the Browns by Chris Trapasso of CBSSports.com.

The cornerback had a breakout season for the Michigan State Spartans in 2018. In 12 games, the junior made 72 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sack, one interception, and 15 passes defended.

Layne is another 2019 draft prospect who has expressed a desire to be drafted by his hometown team. Two Cleveland natives from Ohio State, Dre’Mont Jones and Parris Campbell, have said it would be a dream come true and “huge” if they were drafted by the Browns.