The Detroit Lions have used this offseason to retool their roster on the margins after failing to make the postseason in 2025, and the draft was one major outlet for them. The Lions added several players who should make an impact next season, but one of their best selections was Arizona State cornerback Keith Abney II.
The Lions nabbed him with the 157th pick in the 5th round, which was one of the best value selections. The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner released an article with the top value draft picks based on 'The Beast' by Dane Brugler and Abney was on the list.
In his breakdown on why this was a great pick, he wrote:
"In a deep corner class filled with guys straight out of central casting, the undersized Abney (5-10, 188) got a bit lost in the shuffle. He wound up being a great value pick by Detroit. A quick and physical defender with confidence in man coverage, Abney could compete for time in the slot immediately."
Keith Abney II was terrific value pick by Lions
Brugler had Abney as his 61st overall prospect, and gave him a 2nd or 3rd round draft grade. For the Lions to get him in the 5th round shows Detroit may have found a real contributor on Day 3.
Despite being 5'10", Abney was a two-year starter on the outside at Arizona State. In that scheme, he was asked to play press man, off man, and zone on different occasions. One of his biggest strengths is his awareness to quickly diagnose a play and close on the ball.
An underrated part of his game that will get on the coaches good side is his physicality in the run game. Over the last two seasons with the Sun Devils, Abney logged 96 total tackles, 21 pass deflections, and five interceptions.
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While Terrion Arnold and D.J. Reed will likely start on the outside at corner for this group, Abney can push Roger McCreary for playing time. Detroit brought McCreary in on a one-year deal, $1.4 million deal, which shows they view him as a depth option who can start if needed.
But after falling out of favor with the Tennessee Titans and failing to get playing time with the Los Angeles Rams in 2025, there's no guarantee he'll be able to win the job.
Abney should get a chance to compete with McCreary for a starting job during training camp and, with how productive he was in college, it wouldn't be a shock to see him in the starting lineup early on in 2026. Brugler thought he was worth being a top 100 pick, but for some reason, he fell all the way to the fifth round.
That will benefit the Lions down the line.
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