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The Detroit Lions selected cornerback Keith Abney in the fifth round, considered a major draft steal. Analysts had projected him to be picked much earlier, with rankings as high as 53rd overall.
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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. Hereās what you need to know about the teamās 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 Bruglerās 61st best player in this class. Trevor Sikkema had him 53rd, Lance Zierlein had him 85th, and Daniel Jeremiah had him 98thāall well above the place where Detroit took him: 157.
On the Wide Left consensus big board, Abney ranked 61st overallāmaking this one of the best value picks of Day 3.
2. Heās 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. Itās 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, itās unclear whether heāll 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. Hereās what he said were his two most underrated aspects of his game.
āMy tackling or my man coverage,ā Abney said. āI 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).ā
Abney earned a 9.07 on our Grit Index, ranking him third among cornerbacks in this yearās 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
Keith Abney was considered a steal because he was projected to be picked in the second round, yet the Lions selected him in the fifth round at 157th overall.
Draft analysts ranked Keith Abney as high as 53rd by Trevor Sikkema and 61st by Dane Brugler, while others had him at 85th and 98th.
Keith Abney plays as a cornerback for the Detroit Lions.
Keith Abney was drafted 157th overall, significantly lower than his consensus ranking of 61st, highlighting the value of the pick.

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ā SunDevilSource.com (@SunDevilSource) September 22, 2025
3. He had a bit of a penalty problem
As it typically goes with a physical corner, Abney found himself on the end of a lot of penalties in college. According to PFF, Abney was called for 13 penalties in the last two seasons as a starter for the Sun Devils.
But Detroit likes their corners playing on the every edge of physicality, so Iām not sure theyāll view that as much of a negative.
4. He was a competitive inline skater as a kid
Though he doesnāt do it anymore, Abney was a speed skater as a child. His website as an 11-year-old speed skater is actually still up here. If you want to see just how fast he was as a skater, check out some clips below:
One of my favorite random draft nuggets: CB Keith Abney (talented day 2 prospect) was an inline skating prodigy as a kid.
Won 4 national titles. Destroyed the 300-meter national record in 7th grade š pic.twitter.com/W9hS9Epaot
ā Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 9, 2026
5. The Lions have been one of his favorite teams
During his post-draft Zoom call with local media, Abney revealed to Detroit reporters that the Lions have been one of his favorite teams. That made his unexpected wait in the draft worth it.
āMan, the wait donāt even matter, man. Iām just glad to be a Lion,ā Abney said. āIt means everything. Itās a great program, great culture, great coaches, great people around .Iām just blessed to be here. Iām feeling all the emotions, man. Dropped a couple of tears. Itās a dream come true. Itās a dream come true and the Lions just happen to be one of my favorite teams, so everythingās working out alright.ā