Grading Lions’ Round 5 pick Keith Abney II

— Andy (@AndyyNFL) April 25, 2026

College career

After being a depth piece his freshman year, Abney took over a starting role in 2024 and was one of the best defensive players for the next two years at Arizona State. He finished his career with 98 tackles, 21 pass deflections, six interceptions, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, a tackle for loss, and a sack. In his 26 starts, he was one of the most consistent players on the roster and a key contributor to the team’s 2024 CFP playoff run.

In 2024, he was on the All-Big 12 Second Team, but improved to the first team in 2025, also appearing on the PFSN All-American first team.

ASU CB Keith Abney II is a sticky corner can be deployed in press man or off man, but shows his twitch and fluid transitions allow him to break on passes with ease. Disrupts the catch point well pic.twitter.com/nA5zfpNlyz

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) March 15, 2026

Strengths and weaknesses

Where Abney shines is in his coverage and tackling. According to PFF, Abney is ranked seventh out of cornerbacks for tackling (87.6), tied for 13th in defense overall (86.3), and 22nd in coverage (85.3). Last season, he allowed 32 catches on 72 targets for 321 yards and zero touchdowns, an improvement from allowing 550 yards and four touchdowns in 2024. As a cornerback, he isn’t afraid to get physical. He’s a solid tackler who gets his target down quickly and effectively.

Where he struggles is with penalties, having racked up 13 in his two seasons starting, so he can draw attention from the officials with his hands. While he’s fast, he isn’t the quickest, as receivers can use double-moves to separate themselves from him. His size at five-foot-nine makes things more difficult for him, but we know with Robertson in Detroit that size isn’t an absolute negative.

Keith Abney II (5’11 195) Arizona State

• Excellent instincts
• Ball skills with 6 career interceptions
• Impressive footwork
• Physical at the catch point
• Reliable tackler with just a 4.3% missed tackle rate in 2025
• 44.4% completion rate allowed against him in 2025
• Hip… pic.twitter.com/KzhGI8pCha

— Bengals & Brews (@BengalsBrews) February 19, 2026

Overall

Overall, this seems like a good pickup for the Lions’ depth that is a low-risk, high upside. They get a guy who could compete for a starting role at the nickel spot who was projected by some to be a Day 2 pick. While he does draw penalties, the fact that he can make plays on defense and can be a ballhawk is what this defense needs more of. The cornerback room currently doesn’t have any guys that stand out in that department.

For this pick, I see it as a great value for someone who could turn into something, and worst case, he can be a backup and potentially play special teams. We’ve seen this team have a gauntlet of players lined up at cornerback throughout the year, so he could have his shot if someone goes down. Also, he can play outside, so the team could test him out there if he can’t find a role at the nickelback spot.

Grade: A-