ESPN NFL draft analyst says Lions got best fifth-round value pick

ESPN NFL draft analyst Matt Miller loves what the Detroit Lions did in the fifth round.

In ESPN's look at the best picks, trades and fits of the 2026 NFL Draft, Miller said the Lions hit a home run in the draft's fifth round with Arizona State cornerback Keith Abney II.

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. - Matt Miller, ESPN

Naturally, the Lions agree. Lions general manager Brad Holmes told Fox 2 Detroit's Dan Miller after the draft that they couldn't believe Abney was still on the board in the fifth.

Holmes told Fox 2 Detroit that the Lions felt they were choosing between Michigan linebacker Jimmy Rolder and Abney in the fourth.

"It was kind of like, ‘Alright, Abney’s probably going to be gone.' Those are just the decisions you gotta make," Holmes told Fox 2 Detroit.

Then, when the Lions were back on the clock in the fifth, to Holmes and Detroit's pleasant surprise, Abney was still waiting for his professional home.

"It was just like, 'He’s still here?'

"We just had him so much higher on our board that he was just sticking out like a sore thumb... That is very good value to be able to get a player of that caliber, who can play outside, can play inside, he’s got ball skills, he’s got instincts, he can be sticky and he can tackle," Holmes said.

Abney led Arizona State in both passes defended (9 in 2024, 12 in 2025) and tied for the team lead in interceptions (3 in 2024, 2 in 2025) during the past two seasons.