Packers Select ‘Football Junkie’ In On SI NFL Mock Draft Before Combine

GREEN BAY, Wis. – With the season on the line, Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine weren’t up to the task.

After inadequately staffing the cornerback position last offseason, that position remains a key area of need for the Green Bay Packers ahead of this week’s Scouting Combine. In a pre-Combine mock draft, Justin Melo of NFL Draft On SI sent Arizona State cornerback Keith Abney II to the Packers with their second-round pick.

Green Bay’s fourth-quarter collapse in the playoff loss to the Bears “magnified their need for a cornerback, as Caleb Williams threw for 361 yards and two touchdowns. Keith Abney's competitive spirit would fit nicely. Abney accumulated 21 career pass breakups at Arizona State and had at least one interception in every season.”

Abney was among 10 prospects to watch for the Packers at this week’s Scouting Combine.

Listed by the school at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds but at 6-foot and 190 pounds by other sources, including NFL.com, the tale of the tape will determine whether Abney will be a consideration for general manager Brian Gutekunst if available with the 52nd overall pick. The Packers don’t necessarily covet tall cornerbacks but they have no taste for short ones. Jaire Alexander is the shortest drafted by Gutekunst at 5-foot-10 1/4.

Abney was a two-year starter for the Sun Devils with five interceptions, 21 passes defensed and two forced fumbles during that span.

He earned some first-team All-American honors in 2025, when he allowed 32-of-72 passing (44.4 percent) for 321 yards with zero touchdowns, two interceptions and a 46.1 passer rating, according to Pro Football Focus. Plus, he was an efficient tackler with just two missed tackles. He was guilty of 13 penalties the last two seasons (six in 2025).

“Keith Abney is a dreamer,” ASU defensive backs coach Bryan Carrington said. “He is a guy that has high goals, high expectations. He's a big critic of himself and he's always looking for any and all opportunities to get better. He's a student of the game and always trying to find indicators or a way to get an upper hand on his opponent, even if that's watching extra film in the afternoon, at home. He's a football junkie.”

Abney is unranked at NFL.com and just outside the top 10 cornerbacks for ESPN’s Mel Kiper, but is the No. 36 overall prospect at PFF.

Abney is the No. 52 overall prospect, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.

“Abney has only average size but plays bigger (and more competitively) than he looks,” he wrote. “He is a little bit of a wild defender, which NFL route runners will take advantage of while he matures. But his fluid change-of-direction skills help him play sticky in coverage.”

He is the No. 8 corner and No. 69 overall prospect, according to Sports Info Solutions. It charged him with only a 36 percent completion rate.

“Abney is a sticky and physical outside corner with impressive ball skills who will cause trouble for NFL wide receivers if he improves his technique,” SIS wrote.

The Packers the last three seasons have dumped Rasul Douglas (trade), Jaire Alexander (released) and Eric Stokes (free agency) and replaced them with only three seventh-round picks (only Carrington Valentine remains) and free-agent Nate Hobbs, who was injured for most of his debut season.

“I think again we had some injuries,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said, disagreeing with the notion the team needed to make “wholesale” changes at a position that must contend with the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Justin Jefferson in the NFC North games.

“Obviously, Hobbs was missed for most of the season, never really got going. I thought Carrington stepped in and did a great job. I think he continues [to improve]. He’s a young player who’s still getting better. Keisean had a very, very good year. I think he was in the top three in PBUs and did some really good things. Do we need wholesale changes? No. I do think it’s an area (where) those guys can get hurt. They’re the smaller guys on the field. We ask a lot of those guys in run support. The depth there, for me, is important that we have answers.”

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