Examining Whether ASU’s Abney Deserves Better NFL Draft Grade
In this story:
Cornerback Keith Abney II is coming off of a very good career at ASU. Abney II was a staple of Brian Ward's defense and made so many great plays and memorable moments. The next stop for Abney is the NFL draft, where most pudnits have him going in early Round 2. So, is that a fair assessment for Abney?
Reason for Yes - Deep Corner Class
This years draft is intersting is at some positions it looks depth. For instance, quarterback and running back are not as deep as compared to other years, however there is not the case for cornerback. This years class has some truly excellent corners including:
- LSU's Mansoor Delanne who is considered to be corner one in this draft class
- Tennessee's Jermod McCoy who would be a top 5 player on most players boards if he did not have an ACL injury last year. However, the fact that McCoy is corner number 2 even coming off a brutal injury shows how fantastic of a player he really is.
- Clemson's Avieon Terrell, brother of Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell, who has great playmaking.
- South Carolina's Brandon Cisse who is a recent riser amongst the draft community.
So, Abney II is in a class with a lot of great players. Often times, the lack of Abney II getting talked about going in Round 2 is more so that of the other corner players just being better than him, instead of him being a bad player.
Reason for No - Abney's Clutch Plays
Abney II made a bunch of clutch plays for ASU this season. The most prominent was his game winning interception against the West Virginia Mountaineers, which was a huge home win for ASU. Another impactful play Abney II made was when he got an interception against the Baylor Bears. At the time when he made the pick, it was 13 to 10. In a game where ASU only won by 3, Abney's interception was clutch for Brian Ward's defense.
Reason for Yes - Abney's size
One criticm against Abney II is that he is a bit under sized for the position. Abney II is 5'11", which is a bit udnersized for corner. Now, players in the NFL have defined size before, such as former Saints Quarterback Drew Brees or former Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson had great careers despite being called short for their positions. So as shown players can overcome size concerns, however, when the position is perimeter corner, it is more of a concern where bigger receivers can gain an advantage.
To give an example of the size of the top corners in the game, Seahawks corner Devon Witherspoon is 6'0" and Patriots corner Christian Gonzalez is 6'1". So, it is not a huge size difference between the top corners and Abney, however, it could be enough to push him to Round 2 of the draft.
Reason for No - Abney's Consistency
Abney had a great season for 2024 and followed it up with a very good yer in 2025. Abney's back to back great seasons showed that he continues to learn and improve his game.
The Verdict
So, after all the points considered, is it fair that Abney is considered an early round 2 prospect? While this might shock some, the answer is yes. There is a lot of great stuff to love about Abney and if a team late in Round 1 such as the Philadelphia Eagles or the Seattle Seahawks take him, it would make sense and be a solid pick. However, the fact that Abney is in a stacked corner class and is undersized are fair factors that make him a very good early Round 2 prospect.
Overall, it will be fun and interesting to follow Abney on his NFL journey.
Please follow us on X when you click right here, as well as @khicks_21 for nonstop Arizona State coverage!
Tanner Cappellini holds a mass communications degree from Arizona State University and is pursuing his dream of being the person at the games, practices, and events who takes others inside the team they love.