Arizona State CB Keith Abney II declares for 2026 NFL Draft

Arizona State junior cornerback Keith Abney II declared for the 2026 NFL Draft and plans to forgo his remaining eligibility, he told ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

He will not play for ASU in its Sun Bowl game against Duke.

Abney finished the regular season as the FBS leader among cornerbacks in coverage snaps without allowing a touchdown (458), according to PFF. He did so with the fourth-most snaps and allowed a 44.4% completion rate that only one cornerback in the top 90 of snaps beat.

Abney is also the only Sun Devil defensive back with two interceptions on the year, and he paced the defense with three in 2024.

He’s projected as a Day 2 pick (rounds 2-3), with some analysts picking him to sneak into the first round.

The biggest thing NFL teams may hold against him is his size, despite a 6-foot listing for a cornerback who plays almost exclusively on the outside. However, he is more than willing to get physical with receivers and has provided sticky reps in man coverage.

Going against potential first-round pick Jordyn Tyson in practice will help refine a corner in that way.

PFF’s Trevor Sikkema ranked Abney ninth among corners in the draft class and No. 64 overall (last pick in the second round). Sikkema writes:

Abney is a competitive, communicative outside cornerback with experience in both man and zone coverage. His best and most confident work seems to come from zone work (press or off), where he can be in bail technique and watch the quarterback’s eyes with a good feel for where his receiver(s) are. He is also a willing run defender with good tackling grades and stats. He can play man coverage, but his long speed and recovery speed appear to be average at best; if he doesn’t get physical with vertical receivers, he can get beaten there. His mentality will be his most alluring [trait].

Abney was one of the original signings for coach Kenny Dillingham when he first took the ASU job, and his development is a credit to defensive coordinator Brian Ward and defensive backs coach Bryan Carrington.

The corner came to ASU as the No. 1,253 player in his class and broke out late in 2024, when he held opposing quarterbacks below a 40.0 NFL passer rating in all but one of his last four games during a crucial stretch.

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