5 things to know about Keith Abney: Lions’ best value pick

In the fifth round, the Detroit Lions got what most will say was their biggest steal of the draft in Arizona State cornerback Keith Abney. Here’s what you need to know about the team’s newest defensive back.

1. He went WAY later than many projections

Many draft analysts had Abney as high as a Round 2 pick. He was listed as Dane Brugler’s 61st best player in this class. Trevor Sikkema had him 53rd, Lance Zierlein had him 85th, and Daniel Jeremiah had him 98th—all well above the place where Detroit took him: 157.

On the Wide Left consensus big board, Abney ranked 61st overall—making this one of the best value picks of Day 3.

2. He’s a DAWG

At 5-foot-10, 188 pounds, Abney is an undersized cornerback. But he makes up for it with a tenacious attitude and a physical style of play. It’s not hard to draw comparisons to Amik Robertson, who spent the last two years in Detroit playing both the nickel and outside before signing with the Commanders this offseason. In Detroit, it’s unclear whether he’ll play primarily on the inside or outside, but the Lions are likely to lean into that versatility.

When talking to him at the NFL Combine, he rejected any categorization of him as a zone corner. Here’s what he said were his two most underrated aspects of his game.

“My tackling or my man coverage,” Abney said. “I think a lot of guys view me as a zone defender, but if you turn on the tape, I do a great job (in man).”

Abney earned a 9.07 on our Grit Index, ranking him third among cornerbacks in this year’s class.

Kenny Dillingham spoke very highly of CB Keith Abney following his strong performance vs Baylor:

"He's one of those dudes who gets better every single game. Super intelligent, he's the definition of Barrett Honors. Kid's gonna play for a long time." pic.twitter.com/6yHoc3EZzR