Dan Campbell says former Sun Devil Keith Abney will play more against Cardinals

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that former ASU cornerback Keith Abney II “will probably help us out a little bit more here this week” as he returns to Arizona to face the Cardinals on Sunday.

Abney, drafted by Detroit in the fifth round of the 2026 draft, has played just 25 defensive snaps so far in his rookie season, recording two tackles.

He is currently listed on the Lions’ unofficial depth chart as the team’s fifth cornerback, but with Rock Ya-Sin listed as out for Sunday, Abney could see his number called more often in his return to the state of Arizona.

“I think Abney will probably help us out a little bit more here this week. So will (cornerback Jalen) Mills, I can see both those guys taking on a bigger role,” Campbell told reporters Wednesday.

Abney played three seasons for the Sun Devils and played a huge role on the team during its Big 12 title season in 2024, earning All-Big 12 Second Team honors that year and First Team honors in 2025.

In 34 games, Abney recorded 98 tackles, six interceptions and a sack. He chose to forego his senior season to declare early for the draft, but fell all the way to Day 3, partly due to his smaller frame.

In the 2026 NFL preseason, Abney recorded 12 tackles, one pass defensed and a fumble recovery over three games. Primarily a boundary corner at ASU, he has recorded all of his regular-season snaps in the slot as a nickel corner.

The Lions defense has been struggling this season — 31st in the NFL in points allowed — so perhaps Campbell offering more playing time to Abney is in hopes of shaking things up to reverse that trend.

“(Lions defensive coordinator) Kelvin Sheppard said he’s probably the smartest rookie he’s ever been around,” Lions.com reporter Tim Twentyman told Arizona Sports’ Bickley and Marotta. “He was a press-man corner at Arizona State, and then he got here and they’re like, ‘I think he’s smart enough to play inside — he plays a physical brand of football, let’s move him there.’

“And then they’re like, ‘Wow, he can probably play some safety too.’ So, I think the Lions view him as a three-position type of guy. I wouldn’t be surprised Sunday if we see him play a little more, at nickel and safety.”

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