The Detroit Lions continued to bolster their defense on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft by selecting Arizona State cornerback Keith Abney with pick No. 157 in the fifth round. Abney was highly rated in most draft circles (61st best player on Wide Left’s consensus board) and was projected to be selected on Day 2 of the draft by many highly respected analysts.
Here’s a small sampling of those rankings:
- Trevor Sikkema (former PFF): 53rd overall
- The Athletic’s Dane Brugler: 61st
- ESPN’s Jordan Reid: 66th
- NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein: 85
- Ringer’s Todd McShay: 95
- NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah: 98
Let’s take a look at Abney’s background and traits and discuss how his addition will impact the Lions roster
in 2026 and beyond.
Round 5, Pick 157: Keith Abney
Abney was a multi-sport athlete who did more than just play football as a youth, including running track and inline speed skating, in which he won the USA Roller Sports National Championship in 2017 and set multiple national speed records.
On the football field, he joined Arizona State’s program in 2023 and held a reserve role as a true freshman, then won a starting nickel role as a sophomore, shifted to a starting outside corner role as a junior, before opting to leave for the NFL ahead of his senior season.
Fit with the Lions
A highly competitive player, Abney ranked in the top 30 on the Grit Index with a 9.07 score and should be a tremendous culture fit in Detroit. Intelligent on and off the football field, his anticipation shows up in coverage, and his physicality helps him win at the catch point.
Feisty in press man coverage, Abney will make you fight to get past him and into your route. That being said, he can get to physical once the receiver releases (13 penalties in the last two seasons as a starter), something he acknowledged that he is actively working on correcting. Abney has solid ball skills, and his competitive nature helps him get in position to fight for the ball when it’s in the air.
As a tackler, Abney shows strength in his technique and possesses a finisher’s mentality—something we‘ve said about several of the Lions draft picks in this class.
Quote from Dane Brugler’s The Beast:
“Overall, Abney has wild tendencies and can put himself in tough situations, but athletic instincts and
competitive fire (in all areas) are exciting trademarks of his game. He has the makings of an NFL starter with inside-outside upside.”
Quote from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein’s profile of Abney:
“He’s trusted and well-respected in (Arizona State’s) building. Very competitive and very smart.” – AFC regional scout
Roster impact
The Lions’ cornerback room now sits at eight players, with expectations being that Terrion Arnold and D.J. Reed will open camp as the outside starters. Rock Ya-Sin is the Lions’ next best option and will likely return to his CB3 role with an ever-expanding role.
Where things get tricky is on the inside at nickel. Free agent Roger McCreary is projected to be the starter at the moment, but he could face competition form a variety of sources. Abney makes a ton of sense inside with his upside and competitiveness, but Ennis Rakestraw could also get some looks (though there have been hints that he will stay on the outside this season). We could also see some safeties like Christian Izien and Avonte Maddox competing for time in the slot as well.
“Yes, sir, I’m willing to play anything,” Abney told the Detroit media after being selected by the Lions. “I view myself as very versatile. […] I was actually the starting nickel going into my sophomore year, and then I had a guy on the outside transfer out, so I had to move back to the outside. And then this year we had a couple of injuries, so I had to just stay outside so we can get elite play on the outside. But it’s been a couple of times like coach said, like, ‘Hey, if he goes down, you got to go in.’ So, I know all the positions on the back end, and I have no problem playing inside or outside.”
