Keith Abney may not be the present, but he might be the future.
With much of the attention during Detroit Lions training camp focused on first-round pick Blake Miller, I’ll be keeping a close eye on a different rookie: fifth-round cornerback Keith Abney.
The Lions selected Abney with the No. 157 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft out of Arizona State. Many draft analysts believed Detroit found tremendous value late in the draft. ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller even called Abney a potential “steal of Day 3.”
Detroit addressed a position of need after losing Amik Robertson in free agency. Abney joins a cornerback room that includes D.J. Reed, Rock Ya-Sin, Roger McCreary and Nick Whiteside. With Terrion Arnold no longer on the roster, there is an opportunity for a young player to emerge. Reed and Arnold also dealt with injuries last season, making quality depth even more important.
Abney arrives in Detroit with an impressive résumé. He earned first-team All-Big 12 honors, led his team with three interceptions in 2025 and was a two-time conference leader in pass breakups. He also posted a career-high 52 tackles during the 2024 season.
Before football became his primary focus, Abney was a four-time national champion in inline speed skating, an accomplishment that speaks to his athleticism, balance and competitiveness.
At 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, Abney isn’t the biggest outside corner, but he consistently makes up for it with instincts, technique and physicality. Over his college career, he recorded six interceptions and developed a reputation as a reliable tackler. In 2025, he posted a missed tackle rate of just 4.3% while allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete only 44.4% of their passes when targeting him.
His 2025 Pro Football Focus grades were equally impressive. Among Power Four cornerbacks, he ranked 10th with an 86.3 overall defensive grade, seventh in tackling (87.6) and 16th in coverage (85.3). He also surrendered just a 46.1 passer rating when targeted while breaking up nine passes and recording two interceptions.
Abney’s strengths are easy to identify. He possesses outstanding instincts, fluid hips, excellent footwork and natural ball skills. He plays with confidence at the catch point and competes on every snap. Those traits helped him total 21 passes defended and five interceptions over his final two collegiate seasons.
Like most young defensive backs, there are areas to improve. Abney can become too grabby downfield, leading to penalties. He was flagged six times in 2025 after committing seven penalties the previous season. He also lacks elite size compared to some NFL outside corners, meaning technique will remain critical to his success.
Despite those concerns, many evaluators believed Abney should have been selected much earlier. He was ranked No. 66 overall on the NFL Mock Draft Database consensus board and, at one point during the pre-draft process, was even projected as a late first-round selection.
Training camp will provide Abney with his first opportunity to prove the Lions found another Day 3 gem. While earning a Week 1 starting job may be unlikely, the path to meaningful playing time is there. If he continues to develop throughout the season, don’t be surprised if Abney is competing for a starting role by year’s end. At the very least, he has the talent to become valuable depth with the potential to develop into much more.
