Cornerback was a lesser need for the Detroit Lions in this year's draft, but it was a positional group that could use an addition or two for competition.
Not only did the Lions add competition there, but they might've landed an Amik Robertson replacement in the process. Arizona State cornerback Keith Abney II is the exact kind of nickelback the Lions needed after losing Robertson in free agency, and he can immediately compete with Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Christian Izien, and Roger McCreary for snaps.
ESPN's Matt Miller, who had nothing but praise for Detroit's selection of Abney in the 5th round of the draft, wrote on Sunday that Abney was the steal of that round.
"With pick No. 157, the Lions got a physical, instinctive cornerback who can live at the line of scrimmage and is feisty in press-man situations. Abney doesn't have great size or elite speed but is a worker in the slot."
Lions landed a steal late in the 2026 NFL Draft
Detroit addressed their Robertson-sized hole in free agency, but adding Abney is a nice boost to the room if Rakestraw can't hand in the McCreary-Izien led-group. His run defense is solid, but his work in coverage on intermediate passes is even better. He had a college career-high 12 passes defended in his final year with the Sun Devils, in addition to two forced fumbles and two interceptions.
He was a great value get for the Lions as he was projected to go as early as the third round, but saw a slide. It was to the Lions' benefit.
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Robertson was a key part to the Lions' defense in 2025, as injuries basically forced him to become one of the vocal leaders within their DB room. The veteran saw a ton of success in the slot under defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, tallying two forced fumbles, an interception, and 12 passes defended.
Abney could achieve similar numbers once developed by Detroit and while likely sitting behind McCreary and Izien on the depth chart. If Miller's evaluation is true, the Lions might've found their 2nd-best pick on defense on Day 3 of the draft, and that'd make for unbelievably great scouting work from Detroit's front office.
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