New NFL Landing Spots Suggested for Elite ASU Prospects
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TEMPE -- Arizona State football has quickly become a hotbed to develop NFL talent once again under the leadership of Kenny Dillingham.
Previous players such as Jaelen Strong, N'Keal Harry, and Brandon Aiyuk all advanced as high-level prospects through the Arizona State machine, although there was a period of a few years in which players transferred out, ultimately flourishing elsewhere.
Now, four Sun Devils were invited to and participated in the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis over the last week, with each of them being projected to get selected during the three-day draft event come April.
PFF's Bradley Locker suggested new landing spots for two of the most high-profile Arizona State prospects that haven't typically been floated around - ASU on SI explores those propositions below.
Keith Abney II: Philadelphia Eagles
Abney's most clear-cut fit might be with the Seattle Seahawks, but another team named after a bird gets the nod in this scenario.
"Howie Roseman never turns down an opportunity for improvement. Edge defender, (third) corner and safety were all low points on the team in 2025, and each could be victim to free-agent departures over the next two seasons. Abney (81.7 PFF zone coverage grade) would fit well in Vic Fangio’s defense next to Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell."
The Eagles are in a bit of a transitionary period heading into 2026 after lulling through a disappointing 2025 season that was entered with hopes to repeat as the Super Bowl victor. Abney would serve as a cost-controlled, premium talent that would be a natural fit in Fangio's scheme alongside fellow battle-tested cornerbacks. One of the areas that Abney would serve as an instant spark plug in is as a natural chaos-creator - the All-Big 12 talent has earned several stripes over the year as a player that can create turnovers in key moments of games.
Max Iheanachor: Indianapolis Colts
The most natural NFL fits for Iheanachor have widely been seen as the Detroit Lions and Eagles - although the Colts would potentially be a natural fit as well.
"What shouldn’t be forgotten is that longtime right tackle Braden Smith is also a free agent. Even if Smith comes back, he’s on the heels of his two worst seasons by overall PFF grade. Iheanachor (78.3 PFF pass-blocking grade) could be another developmental project for Indianapolis, which has found several gems along its offensive line."
The Colts suffered a late-season collapse in 2025 after looking the part as one of the best teams in the league over the first half of the season. GM Chris Ballard has immense pressure on him to continue building out a roster that is well-rounded in some areas but lacking in others, with Iheanachor potentially serving as a high-upside option that would protect expected returner at QB in Daniel Jones and blocking for All-Pro talent in RB Jonathan Taylor.
Read more on the bold strategy that head coach Bobby Hurley employed with comments on 1/21 here, and on why Arizona State may have saved the season with the win over Cincinnati on Saturday here..
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Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.