Allen Park — The Detroit Lions selected Arizona State cornerback Keith Abney II with the 157th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday. Abney, who played three seasons at ASU, totaled 21 pass deflections and six interceptions in college.
Abney was the No. 66 overall prospect on NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus board, and he was tabbed as a second-to-third-round talent by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. Despite sliding to the fifth round, Abney hasn’t allowed his mood to be dampened.
“The wait don’t even matter, man. I’m glad to be a Lion,” Abney said in a Zoom meeting with reporters. “This means everything. Great program, great culture, great coaches, great people. I’m just blessed to be here. Feeling all the emotions, dropped a couple tears. It’s a dream come true.”
Abney’s passer rating against in 2025 (46.1) ranked 11th among 224 qualified FBS cornerbacks (minimum 300 snaps in coverage). Most of Abney’s experience has come on the outside (88.1% of his defensive reps since 2023), but his size, at 5-foot-9⅞ and 187 pounds, has some wondering if he’s best suited to play in the slot at the next level.
“I just want to win games. If takes me to play nickel to win games, that’s what we’re going to do. Outside, safety, anything,” Abney said. “I just want to win. … I’m willing to do anything, willing to play any role.”
The Lions now have eight cornerbacks on their roster: Abney, D.J. Reed, Terrion Arnold, Rock Ya-Sin, Roger McCreary, Ennis Rakestraw, Khalil Dorsey and Nick Whiteside. If the Lions see Abney as an option in the slot, McCreary (and perhaps safety Christian Izien Jr.) would be his top competition.
Asked for his best attributes, Abney pointed to his IQ and his feet, along with his toughness.
“That’s why I love this fit. This is a perfect fit,” Abney said. “I feel like this is a tough team that I’m joining, and I feel like I’m going to fit right in.”
Abney allowed 32 receptions (72 targets) for 321 yards along with two interceptions last season. He was whistled for six penalties in 2025 and seven in 2024. “That’s something I’ve been working on this offseason,” Abney said of his 13 career penalties. “Come preseason and regular season, we’re going to see that it got cleaned up and that I worked on it.”
Rated by the 247Sports Composite as a three-star recruit in the Class of 2023 from Texas, Abney was a four-time national champion as a speed skater in his youth. He stopped skating about six years ago, but he feels the endurance and core strength he built over the years have translated well to the football field.
Abney said he was “definitely surprised” he wasn’t drafted earlier, “but I’m just blessed to be here any way it goes. … I just needed an opportunity. This is something I dreamed of as a kid, and I’m just grateful to be here. I’m grateful to be a Lion. I’m a firm believer in God got a plan, and God don’t make no mistakes.”
rsilva@detroitnews.com
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Keith Abney II won’t let draft slide affect mood: ‘Glad to be a Lion’
Reporting by Richard Silva, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
