The Detroit Lions will look to bounce back after a fairly disappointing 2025 season. They're not the average bottom-feeder, and they'll have a much easier schedule than theaverage Super Bowl contender this season.
However, that doesn't mean they can afford to get complacent now. If anything, they must tweak their roster and make sure to have the best guys on the field, regardless of their draft pedigree, experience, or salary.
With that in mind, it wouldn't be much of a surprise to see rookie CB Keith Abney II carve himself a role in Kelvin Sheppard's secondary. In fact, he might be impressive enough in training camp to push Rock Ya-Sin out of Detroit.
Keith Abney II will put Rock Ya-Sin to the test in Detroit
Abney's tape is that of a Day 2 pick. He plays with such ferocity and violence that it's just impossible not to follow him on every snap, and he brings a contagious energy that just reeks of Dan Campbell's style of football.
The Lions' secondary gave up 217.4 passing yards per game last season, which was "good" for 20th in the league. They also ranked 22nd in points allowed per game (24.3), mostly due to their issues against the pass.
Abney, while undersized for the position, still showed a strong nose for the ball in college, picking off five passes and defending another 21 in his final 25 games at Arizona State. He held opposing quarterbacks to a 44.4 percent completion rate.
That should, at the very least, put him in a position to compete with Rock Ya-Sin for a backup spot behind D.J. Reed and Terrion Arnold. Ya-Sin started 6 of 17 games last season, giving up a 51.9 percent completion rate for 274 yards and just one touchdown, so the bar is particularly high for the rookie.
Also, there's not much of a financial incentive to cut ties with Rock Ya-Sin, given that the Lions would only save $560K in cap space with that move. Even so, Abney can make a strong case to leapfrog him in the pecking order and be the first cornerback off the bench.
Abney needs to be more disciplined and measured. He compensates his lack of size with a bit too much energy, and he tends to gamble at times, leading to completions or penalties. But if he cleans that up and proves that he can handle the physicality of the pros, he should be in for a big role right out of the gate.
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