Another Corner? In This Secondary?
The Lions just grabbed Arizona State cornerback Keith Abney II with the 157th pick in the fifth round, adding to what was already a 15-player secondary room. Yes, you read that right. Fifteen players. And somehow, they might have just found their biggest steal of the day.
Look, I know what you’re thinking. We’ve got corners coming out of our ears in Allen Park. But when a guy projected to go in the second or third round falls to you in the fifth, you don’t ask questions. You just take him and figure it out later.
The Good News That Actually Sounds Too Good
Here’s where it gets interesting, and by interesting I mean cautiously optimistic in that way Lions fans have learned to master. Abney posted an 87.6 tackling grade from Pro Football Focus, missing just two tackles while playing 785 snaps. Two tackles. In an entire season.
His coverage numbers are even better. He allowed a 46.1 passer rating, picked off two passes, and broke up nine more. Pro Football Focus gave him an 85.3 coverage grade to go with that tackling mark.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had him pegged as a second or third-round talent. When guys with that kind of projection fall to the fifth round, it’s either because everyone else is missing something or because we’re about to find out what red flags look like in real time.
The Concerns That Sound Familiar
Thirteen penalties over the last two seasons. Thirteen. This kid is handsy and aggressive, which sounds a lot like another corner we know in Terrion Arnold. Maybe that’s just the Lions’ style now, or maybe we’re collecting flags like trading cards.
At just under 5-foot-10, Abney’s got that Amik Robertson vibe going. He’s played mostly outside in college but Detroit will probably want him in the slot, where he’s logged only 26 snaps. So we’re talking about a position change on top of everything else.
What The Scouts Say
The scouting report calls Abney an “immediate quality starter” who attacks the football well on slants and in-breaking routes. His recognition and patience are supposedly excellent, and he plays bigger than his height suggests. The evaluation says whoever picks him gets an immediate contributor at nickel or outside.
That sounds great on paper. But we’ve heard “immediate contributor” before, haven’t we? Still, when you’re getting second-round talent in the fifth round, you take your chances and hope the football gods are finally smiling on Detroit.
Did the Lions just pull off highway robbery in the fifth round, or are we setting ourselves up for another case of “too good to be true? Sound off in the comments below.
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Ok I’m trying not to get too hyped but those coverage numbers are insane. If we actually landed a second round talent in the fifth that’s the kind of move that can change things. I know we have a crowded secondary but that’s a good problem to have right?
Yeah I’ve heard the “immediate contributor” line before and it never seems to work out like they say. Plus 13 penalties in two years? That’s not just being aggressive, that’s undisciplined. We already have that problem with Arnold. Why are we doubling down on it?
Reminds me of the old days when we’d find guys nobody else wanted and they’d actually pan out. Short corners with heart have always been my favorite type of player to root for. This kid’s got that fight in him and I like the gamble they’re taking here.