Lions Keep Building Defense With Arizona State Corner
The Lions just cannot stop drafting defense, can they? With their first fifth-round pick, Detroit grabbed Arizona State cornerback Keith Abney with the 157th overall selection. That makes it three straight defensive picks for a franchise that apparently remembered they need to stop people occasionally.
Abney comes in at 6-foot, 190 pounds, which means he’s probably headed for the nickel spot rather than battling outside receivers who tower over him. But here’s the thing about this kid: he actually produced when it mattered.
Over his last two seasons as a starter for the Sun Devils, Abney racked up 21 passes defended and five interceptions. That kind of production earned him First Team All-Big 12 honors in 2025, and frankly, it’s the type of resume that should make Lions fans cautiously optimistic rather than immediately pessimistic.
High Character Guy in a Questionable Position Group
The Lions had Abney on their radar as one of five high-character defensive backs worth watching in this draft class. After decades of watching this franchise draft corners who couldn’t cover a picnic table with a tarp, maybe prioritizing character alongside talent isn’t the worst approach.
In Detroit, Abney walks into what should be a legitimate competition for the nickel spot. He’s got the versatility to provide depth on the outside too, which matters when you’re talking about a Lions secondary that has historically been about as reliable as a Ford from the early 2000s.
Four More Shots Left
The Lions still have four picks remaining on the final day of the draft. They’ve already addressed offensive tackle, edge rusher, linebacker, and now defensive back. The shopping list is getting shorter, but there’s still work to do at tight end, nose tackle, and running back.
At this point in the draft, you’re looking for contributors and depth pieces rather than immediate starters. Abney fits that bill perfectly. He’s got the production, the character, and the size to carve out a role in Allen Park.
Think this pick makes sense or are we just collecting nickel corners like baseball cards now? Drop your take below.
Okay I’m actually feeling good about this one. A kid who had real production at a Power conference school and got First Team All-Big 12? That’s the kind of resume you wanna see. Plus if he’s got the character thing going on maybe we finally got some guys who actually want to work instead of just collecting a paycheck.
I mean sure, the stats look nice on paper but I’ve watched this team reach on DBs before and have them wash out. Nickel corner depth is fine but let’s pump the brakes on getting excited until we actually see what he does in September against real NFL speed.
You know back in the day we used to prioritize the trenches first, get your line sorted out and then worry about the secondary. This defensive heavy approach is interesting but it feels backwards to me. That said if this kid can actually stick around and contribute that’s still better than what we’ve gotten used to.