Detroit Lions rookie cornerback Keith Abney II has only been in Allen Park for a matter of weeks. Yet, he already understands why players are eager to play for Dan Campbell.

According to Sports Illustrated analyst Daniel Flack, Abney, picked in the fifth round by the Lions for a 4-year rookie contract worth over $4 million, is a 'steal' in the draft. Following practice during the OTAs, Abney sat down for an interview with Sports Illustrated, where he was asked about Dan Campbell and his energy during meetings.

“You go in there like ‘Damn, this is someone I want to play for.’ You can hear the passion when he talks 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 talks, it gets me going.”

When asked about being called the 'steal' of the draft, Abney admitted that the label gave him a confidence boost.

“Honestly, it did do a little something, but 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 doesn’t even matter once you get into that building, the draft pick don’t matter.”

Abney had a great year in college before the draft after having 44 tackles (36 solo), 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, 12 passes defended, 1 tackle recovery, and 2 forced fumbles. 

He also opened up on how he’s been practicing with stars and veterans during the OTAs.

Abney Opens Up On Experience With The Team So Far

Last season, the Lions added veteran cornerback D.J. Reed, who, according to Abney, has helped him learn about how to be in the league.

“One thing that I’ve learned was just ‘talk less, listen more.’” said Abney. “D.J. rarely talks, but when he do talk, everybody listens.”

The Lions offense was one of the most productive last year. With that said, Abney gave his take on facing the team's top receivers,

“You got every trait of a receiver. Going against that every day is just going to get you better. It’s great competition out here. It’s great having that receiver group.”

For fans who did not know how Abney plays, he even gave a self-scout report.

“Keith Abney is a dawg, you know? I bring versatility and a lot of high-level, winning plays. I'm just a high-energy guy, a playmaker, somebody that’s going to give it his all.”

What are your expectations for Abney for this season? Let us know in the comments! 

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Written by

Dhruv Vishnu Nair

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi