Unpacking Future Packers: No. 31, Arizona State CB Keith Abney II

Green Bay, WI — When Brian Gutekunst sits down to finalize the Green Bay Packers’ 2026 draft board, the name Keith Abney II will sit just outside the franchise’s traditional comfort zone. The Arizona State cornerback is 5-foot-9, 189 pounds, with 30-inch arms — all below the Packers’ customary thresholds of 5-10, 190 pounds, and 31.5-inch arms for the position. Yet history says Gutekunst is willing to bend, if not break, those guidelines when the film and production demand it.

The Packers have already shattered weight barriers in recent drafts. Last April they grabbed 335-pound NC State tackle Anthony Belton at No. 54, the heaviest offensive lineman Green Bay has drafted in decades. In 2023 they selected Michigan State receiver Jayden Reed at 187 pounds, lighter than the team’s typical 190-pound floor for wideouts. If Gutekunst stays true to form, Abney’s tape could override the measuring tape.

A three-star recruit out of Texas, Abney arrived in Tempe in 2023 and immediately flashed ball skills, logging one interception as a freshman. He took a leap the following season, posting 52 tackles, three interceptions, and nine pass breakups. In his 2025 finale, Abney collected 44 tackles, two interceptions, 12 pass deflections, and his first collegiate sack.

“He was easily one of the most important players in the secondary,” said Hod Rabino, who covers the Sun Devils for Devils Digest. “Quarterbacks usually shied away from him.”

The numbers back up the reputation. Targeted 72 times in 2025, Abney surrendered only 32 receptions for 321 yards and zero touchdowns. Against Texas Tech’s oversized wideouts — both projected as Day 3 picks — he allowed four catches on eight targets for 24 yards while Green Bay scouts looked on from the stands.

Despite his stature, Abney plays with a linebacker’s edge. He is feisty in press coverage, fluid in transition, and shows elite change-of-direction ability honed during a childhood career as a speed-skating champion. His 73-inch wingspan helps compensate for shorter arms, and his anticipation — boosted by Honors College study habits — puts him in the right place at the right time.

“Some corners make up for average anticipation with speed or physicality,” Rabino noted. “Abney is the opposite. He dissects opponents every week. He’s a film-room junkie.”

Over the past two seasons Abney produced five interceptions and 21 pass breakups. He recorded 12 run stops in 2025 and missed only two tackles, using angles and instincts to offset any power deficiency. Green Bay’s current roster could use that reliability; starters Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine are both entering contract years, and the Packers finished 2025 middle-of-the-pack in explosive pass plays allowed.

Abney’s slot résumé is limited — just 26 snaps inside at ASU — but evaluators believe his short-area quickness and toughness translate to nickel duties. Special-teams value, intelligence, and positional versatility often push Day-2 corners up draft boards, and Abney checks each box.

The Packers have long coveted length on the perimeter, but they have also learned that sticky coverage and ball production travel on Sundays. If Abney’s measurements were an inch or a pound lighter, he might be dismissed. As it stands, he sits right on the borderline — exactly where Gutekunst has proven willing to pounce.

Any team that drafts Abney, Rabino insists, “is getting an extremely cerebral player who is unlikely to make the same mistake twice. With patience he can grow into a solid cornerback for your team.”

For a franchise searching for playmaking juice in the secondary, the Arizona State standout offers a calculated gamble Green Bay has already shown it’s willing to take.