The Detroit Lions dipped back into the college cornerback pool on yesterday, grabbing Arizona State’s Keith Abney II with the 157th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The two-year starter out of Tempe arrives as a twitchy, physical defensive back whose film and numbers line up neatly with what teams want in a modern nickel and core special-teamer.
According to the Detroit Lions, Abney spent most of his time on the boundary for the Sun Devils, earning praise for his instincts, willingness to tackle, and knack for attacking the catch point. Across 12 games in 2025, he logged 44 tackles (36 solo), one sack, two forced fumbles, and 12 passes defended, while pulling in first-team All-Big 12 honors, as reported by CBS Sports. Detroit’s evaluators have already highlighted his versatility and hinted he will be in the thick of the competition for the Lions’ open nickel spot this summer.
Tape and analytics
The numbers back up the scouting buzz. Pro Football Focus graded Abney as one of college football’s more efficient corners in 2025, assigning him an 86.3 overall mark and an 85.3 coverage grade, per Pro Football Focus. Their charting also tags him with a very low passer rating allowed when targeted, which helps explain why he is viewed as a high-effort, dependable coverage option. That mix of sound coverage habits and willingness to run support is exactly the profile teams target for situational nickel work.
Where he fits in Detroit’s secondary
Abney walks into a corner room that is anything but empty. The Lions list D.J. Reed and Terrion Arnold near the top of the pecking order, with experienced options like Rock Ya-Sin and Roger McCreary behind them, according to Pride of Detroit. Given that landscape, draft analysts have circled his size and skill set as reasons a move inside makes plenty of sense, a view reflected in The Ringer, which touts his ball skills and physical edge. If he can trim down grabby penalties and tighten his technique, Abney is positioned to earn situational defensive snaps along with immediate special-teams duties as a rookie.
What’s next
Next up is the grind. Abney will report to Detroit’s offseason program and training camp, trying to climb the depth chart while adjusting to NFL speed and complexity. Local draft coverage has already flagged the nickel battle as one of the more crowded fights on the roster, in a secondary that the Lions clearly value for depth and versatility, per CBS Sports. Coaches are expected to zero in on cleaner technique and improved discipline as their fastest path to a consistent role.
Bottom line: Detroit is taking a calculated late-round swing on production, analytics, and competitive temperament. Those traits often help Day 3 picks punch above their draft slot, and how quickly Abney turns that potential into steady snaps will start to come into focus once OTAs and preseason tape roll in.
