Lions Grab Keith Abney in 5th Round, ESPN's Miller Raves

0:00It's April 28th. Welcome in. This is NFL News Today, where football meets AI. ESPN draft guru Matt Miller is raving about the Detroit Lions' fifth round grab in the 2026 NFL Draft. They snagged Arizona State Cornerback Keith Abney II with the 157th pick. Miller calls it a massive win, praising Abney as a tough, smart player who thrives up at the line and handles press coverage like a boss, even if he's. Not the biggest or fastest guy out there. Lions' general manager Brad Holmes couldn't hide his shock that Abney lasted that long. Heading into the fourth round, the team was torn between him and Michigan linebacker Jimmy Rolter, figuring Abney would get scooped up quick. But when they picked again in the fifth, there he was, still on the board, making it feel like pure luck. Holmes lit up talking about it after the draft, saying Abney stood out huge on their big board, thanks to his versatility. The guy can lock down outside, slide inside, snatch balls, replays on the fly, stick to

1:02receivers and bring down ball carriers without missing a beat. Dig into Abney's college tape and the numbers back it up. Over the last two seasons at Arizona State, he topped the team and passes defended with 9 in 2024 and 12 in 2025. He also tied for the lead in picks with three and then two. Last year alone, on 72 targets, he gave up zero touchdowns, held quarterbacks to a 46.1 passer rating and just a 44. 0.4 completion percentage against per pro football focus. This kind of value in the fifth round could shore up to Troy's secondary for years, giving them a feisty playmaker ready to contribute right away. Lions fans are smiling big on this one.