Q&A: Lions Rookie CB Keith Abney Brings 'High-Level, Winning Plays'

When his name was announced at the 2026 NFL Draft, Detroit Lions rookie cornerback Keith Abney II was called the 'steal' of Day 3.

Working with defensive analyst DeWayne Walker at Arizona State helped prepare the talented defensive back for what life in the NFL would look like.

Coach Walker, who has served as a defensive backs coach for the Patriots (1998-2000), NY Giants (2002-2003), Washington (2004-2005), Jaguars (2013-2016), and Browns (2017-2019), has worked with notable players, including Sean Taylor, Ty Law, Troy Polamalu (at USC), and Denzel Ward.

Abney's skills may lend to playing in the slot early in his Lions career, but he can certainly be a player the team eventually counts on to play on the outside, if needed.

His college tape showcased a player who played outside cornerback and was comfortable in press-man coverage, playing off, and when the Sun Devils were in Cover-2, Cover-3, Cover-4 looks.

Following practice, Lions OnSI caught up with the fifth-round pick to learn how he is feeling about OTAs, learning from veterans and to share what the Lions are getting, when he steps foot out on the football field.

*Questions and answers have been edited lightly for length and clarity

How are you feeling about the three weeks of OTAs?

Keith Abney: “It’s been great. Just trying to come here and be a sponge. You hear that saying a lot, but really, it’s a real thing. Trying to be a sponge and learn from the guys. All the veteran guys, D.J. Reed, all the guys in that room. They just got a ton of experience, years of experience. I’m just trying to take all the info and learn from them. Learn from the mistakes they made in the past and things that they have seen. Just trying to be the best player I can be. It’s been great. It has been been a great couple weeks so far.”

How did it feel being called the 'steal' of Day 3?

Abney: “Honestly, it did do a little something, but at the same time, I already had the confidence in myself. No matter what draft (pick), even if I was undrafted, I would still have that confidence in myself. It’s good to get that compliment, but it don’t even matter once you get into that building, the draft pick don’t matter. On your locker, it don’t say ‘first-round, second-round, third-round.' It just has got your name on it. That’s just what I’ve been worried about. Just focused on getting better, trying to be the best teammate and learn from all the guys.”

What have you learned from veteran D.J. Reed?

Abney: “One thing that I’ve learned was just ‘talk less, listen more.' Just that there is a lot of information that you can get. You never know it all. Just watching D.J., D.J. rarely talks. When he do talk, everybody listens. But you can just tell, the guy, he just gets better in the meeting rooms, the way he studies, stuff like that. That’s something I’ve just learned, how to approach the game.”

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How does battling against the Lions top receivers improve your game?

Abney: “It’s great, you got a versatile group, every look. You got the big body guys, the guys that are shifty, small. You got guys that can run, take the top off, you got it all. You got every trait of receiver. Going against that every day is just going to get you better. We compete, it’s great. It’s great competition out here. And then in the locker room, you’re best buds. It’s great having that receiver group.”

How have you performed in those battles?

Abney: “I felt like I’ve done good. Right now, OTAs, kinda just learning from the guys, coming in, learning the playbook, trying to be in the right places. Limit your mental errors. It’s just earning trust, working on communication. Earning trust from your coaches and your teammates that you’re going to be out there with.”

Lions were the only team not to have rookie minicamp. How did team decide to use that time?

Abney: “We had a lot of rookie meetings, rookie installs, stuff like that. Catching up from what the vets had been doing. Catching up between them and my OTAs, w'ere all caught up in. Just got to hit the ground rolling.”

Is Dan Campbell's energy in meetings what you expected, now that you are sitting in them?

Abney: “Yeah, yeah. You go in there like ‘Damn, this is someone I want to play for.’ You can hear the passion when he talk and just the energy, the way he carries himself. That’s just a coach you want to play for. He cares for the team, cares for his players. When he talk, it gets me going. His speeches got me going.”

What will the six or so weeks look like for you after minicamp ends?

Abney: “Training. Working. Locked in, working. (I) got the gist of everything now. Now, it’s just time, now you know the plays, just keep working on that. Try to put yourself in situations, where you kinda got the plan that the coaches want to have you in. Try to put yourself in those situations, preparing for training camp where you can hit the ground running.”

How did playing college football prepare you for the NFL?

Abney: “I think college prepared me well. I had a lot of great coaches, a lot of coaches that had NFL experience, just knew what it took to be in the NFL, how to carry yourself. They have you running around similar to this, especially in the meeting room, how detailed they are. I had a coach, coach Walker. Coach Walker was on me so much. He coached in the league for a minute. He always was on me, telling me how it is in the league and the NFL, how to prepare yourself, the things to do, the things he’s seen, stuff like that. ASU (Arizona State) definitely prepared me.”

What are your impressions on defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend?

Abney: “I like how he, how he’s just never rattled. He’s always calm. That’s something I try to always (do), is always stay calm. I like how he’s never rattled, always calm. In the meeting room, very detailed, very attention to detail. That’s the main thing. He’s always on us about the little things, that’s going to pay off in the long run. Repetitions of the little things, creating good habits. He’s a coaches player, he really understands us. I got a good relationship with him so far, even in my short time being here.”

Give fans a self-scout of Keith Abney

Abney: “Keith Abney is a dawg, you know? I think I bring great energy to the Detroit Lions. I bring versatility, play-making ability. I bring a lot of high-level, winning plays. I am also a good teammate, my energy. I got great energy, it’s gonna help feed my other teammates, help them make plays, stuff like that. I’m just a high-energy guy, playmaker, somebody that’s going to give it his all.”

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