NFL.com Thinks They Found Our Draft Sleeper
As Lions fans continue getting acquainted with the newest crop of players ready to put on the Honolulu Blue, the national media is already picking out potential breakout stars from our draft class.
NFL.com’s Gennaro Filice recently named Keith Abney II a sleeper for Detroit. The Arizona State cornerback went in the fifth round at pick No. 157, another piece in Brad Holmes‘ ongoing project to fix our secondary.
Here’s what caught Filice’s attention: “Abney doesn’t blow you away with speed or size, but the 5-10, 187-pounder plays with an endearing chip on his shoulder, providing physicality and premium ball production.”
The numbers back it up. Abney tallied 21 passes defended and five interceptions during his two years starting for the Sun Devils, playing mostly outside corner. But Filice thinks his NFL future might be in the slot.
“His best NFL role could come in the nickel,” he noted.
The Abney Breakdown
Given how injury-prone the cornerback position can be, Abney might get his shot sooner than later. Erik Schlitt broke down what the rookie brings to Allen Park:
“Feisty in press man coverage, Abney will make you fight to get past him and into your route. That being said, he can get to physical once the receiver releases (13 penalties in the last two seasons as a starter), something he acknowledged that he is actively working on correcting. Abney has solid ball skills, and his competitive nature helps him get in position to fight for the ball when it’s in the air.”
As a tackler, Abney shows strength in his technique and possesses a finisher’s mentality — something we’ve said about several of the Lions draft picks in this class.
A fifth-round corner with attitude and ball skills? In Detroit, we’ll take it. Holmes has a track record of finding gems in the later rounds, and Abney fits the mold of guys who play bigger than their measurables.
Around the Pride
The Lions media team is in midseason form already, dropping quality content that makes other franchises look amateur by comparison. They quizzed new tackle Blake Miller about Blake Miller, and honestly, it’s exactly the kind of thing that makes you remember why this organization feels different now.
Jahmyr Gibbs showed up to watch the Pistons’ playoff win, because apparently our running back has time to be a good luck charm for other Detroit teams. Kyle Brandt thinks Gibbs will be in MVP conversation this year, which feels both completely reasonable and terrifying to say out loud as a Lions fan.
The community lost Tony Smith, a 39-year-old Lions fan whose family is dealing with expenses after caring for him. Dan Miller shared the GoFundMe if you’re in a position to help a fellow member of the Pride.
Over in media news, longtime WXYZ sports director Brad Galli is moving on but staying in Detroit to cover our teams. Good. The guy knows his stuff and Detroit sports needs people who actually understand what they’re watching.
Is Keith Abney II the next late-round steal or are we just setting ourselves up for heartbreak again? Drop your take in the comments below.
Man, I love how Holmes keeps finding these guys in the later rounds who just have that dog in them. Abney sounds like exactly what we need in the slot – physical, competitive, and not afraid to get after receivers. The penalties thing he’s working on is just being a young player learning the league, but the attitude and ball skills are already there. This is the kind of move that makes me believe in what Brad’s building.
I want to believe in the sleeper pick hype, I really do, but fifth rounders are fifth rounders for a reason. That said, Holmes has earned the benefit of the doubt here – he’s shown he knows what he’s doing with these kinds of picks. I’ll wait and see what Abney actually does on the field before I crown him anything, but the tape sounds promising at least.
You know, back in the day we never had this kind of attention to detail with later draft picks. Holmes gets it – finds the guys who just want to prove people wrong. That’s the DNA of a real football player. Abney sounds like he belongs in this locker room with Campbell and the way they’re building things now.
A 5-10 corner with that kind of ball production and a chip on his shoulder? Sign me up. The nickel spot has been a problem, and if Abney can bring that feisty energy Campbell loves while actually being able to cover people, this could be a steal. Physical corners with competitive nature win in this league.
Look, I hope Abney turns into something, but let’s not get too crazy about a fifth round pick before we see him play a snap in the NFL. The physicality penalties are a red flag for me – that’s something you either got or you don’t. Holmes knows what he’s doing overall, but I’ll believe this one when I see it.
This is what good drafting looks like. Guys with attitude who want to fight for everything. That’s football. Campbell and Holmes understand that mentality wins, and finding it in the fifth round is what separates good front offices from bad ones. Reminds me of when we had scouts who actually knew how to build a team the right way.