Holmes Does It Again: The Keith Abney Heist
There’s no such thing as “winning” the NFL Draft, but Brad Holmes keeps getting damn close. The closest you can come is squeezing maximum value out of every pick, and when your draft capital gets thinner as your team gets better, that becomes even more critical.
The best teams find diamonds in the rough. They draft starters in the fifth round while other franchises are still figuring out their second rounders. This is how sustained success actually works, and it’s exactly what Holmes has been doing since he got to Allen Park.
Which brings us to Keith Abney II, the Arizona State cornerback who somehow fell to the Lions in the fifth round. According to consensus draft boards, Abney was undervalued by 96 spots. That’s not a mild oversight. That’s highway robbery.
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Why Abney Could Be Holmes’ Latest Heist
Let’s be honest about what this pick represents. Holmes has a habit of pulling starters out of the later rounds, and Abney screams hidden gem. The kid was projected to go by the third round, yet he fell right into Detroit’s lap.
Maybe it was the 13 penalties over two seasons that scared teams away. Maybe it was his 5-foot-9 frame. Whatever the reason, their loss is our gain. Abney brings everything you want in a nickel corner: he’s competitive as a tackler, disruptive at the catch point, and was apparently a foundational culture piece in Kenny Dillingham’s first recruiting class at Arizona State.
Sound familiar? Holmes loves guys who fit the culture and can play above their draft position. This has Christian Mahogany, Malcolm Rodriguez, and Derrick Barnes written all over it.
The Path to Playing Time
Here’s the thing about value picks: they only matter if the player can actually contribute. Roger McCreary brings experience and second-round pedigree to the nickel spot, but Abney could realistically push for that starting job with a strong training camp.
The 30th defensive back selected in this draft might end up being one of the better Day 3 values in the entire class. That’s not hyperbole when you’re talking about a player with tenacious starting potential who fell way past where he should have been drafted.
Holmes entered this draft needing a long-term solution at nickel corner. If Abney can live up to his reputation among draft experts, this becomes another classic Holmes steal. The kind that makes you wonder what the hell the other 31 teams were thinking.
Is this just another case of Holmes seeing something everyone else missed, or are we setting ourselves up for disappointment? Drop your take below.
This is exactly what I’ve been talking about with Holmes. The guy doesn’t reach for names or get caught up in the hype, he just finds the guys other teams are sleeping on. Abney falling that far is wild and if he can stack up some snaps this year I think we’re gonna be saying I told you so about this pick for years.
I like the optimism but we gotta pump the brakes a little. A nickel corner with 13 penalties in two years and undersized isn’t automatically a steal just because he fell. I hope he balls out I really do, but let’s see him actually play before we’re comparing him to the other hits. That’s how you set guys up to fail.
Man this reminds me why I actually enjoy watching football again. Back in the day we’d take a flyer on a guy and you’d hold your breath for like four years before finding out if it worked. Holmes is doing this with confidence like he knows what he’s looking at. That’s the difference between believing in your scouts and just guessing.
The competitive toughness and the culture fit is what gets me excited about this one. Holmes keeps finding these guys who just have that dogs mentality and want to prove something. Even if Abney doesn’t become a starter he’s gonna be a solid rotation piece and that’s value in the fifth round all day.