Rookie Keith Abney II building case to be Lions' starting nickel

A strong practice for Detroit's defense Tuesday was headlined by two defensive backs: veteran Rock Ya-Sin and rookie Keith Abney II. And Aidan Hutchinson, who continues to terrorize the offense. He had two sacks in the first four plays of the final drive of the day, which ended with a pick by D.J. Reed on a pass that slipped through the hands of Jahmyr Gibbs.

The standout on offense was Jameson Williams, who broke off two huge gains on screens, at least one of them for a touchdown. It's a good testament to the detail with which he's playing the game these days, something Jared Goff has raved about all camp. A successful screen involves a lot of moving parts, and patience on the part of the receiver. Williams' execution on those plays was clean and crisp, from start to finish.

Anyway, Abney needed a bit of a bounceback. He was the lone rookie on defense in the Lions' second preseason game last Saturday who didn't play particularly well. He allowed three completions on four targets, including a 30-yard deep ball. He also committed a holding penalty that wiped out a sack by fellow rookie Skyler Gill-Howard.

Abney tackled well and generated a quarterback pressure on one of his blitzes, but it wasn't a great game for him in coverage, playing exclusively in the slot.

Still, Abney remains very much in the mix for the starting job at nickel, in a three-horse race with Christian Izien and Roger McCreary. He's gained a lot of ground in the past couple weeks. Tuesday was no different: when the Lions' first-team defense was on the field, No. 28 was often out there with them.

"I’m just coming out here trying to learn every day and take advantage of those reps that I’m getting (with the first team)" Abney said recently. "Just doing my assignment, executing that, not trying to do too much. Just trying to be consistent and earn the trust of my coaches and teammates so I can continue getting these reps."

Nickel can be an unforgiving job, especially when the assignment involves No. 14 or No. 0 on the other side of the ball. Indeed, with the offense going hurry-up in a late-game scenario Tuesday, Gibbs made a leaping catch over the middle with Abney on his hip, on a touch pass from Goff. Abney fell to the grass on a near break-up, and Gibbs took it down to the 2.

A subsequent penalty on the defense set up the offense with 1st and goal from the 1.

On first down, Goff tried to hit St. Brown on a fade to the back of the end zone. Abney was all over it. The ball sailed out of bounds. On second down, Goff went back to St. Brown in the slot and tested Abney again, on a quick horizontal throw. The play looked designed for St. Brown to high-point the pass and fall into the end zone. Abney wouldn't allow it. He went up with St. Brown, who made the catch, and brought him down about a half yard shy of the goal line.

The defensive coaches loved it, singing Abney's praises, defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend in particular. Reps like those against a first-team All-Pro can go a long way for a rookie.

"It teaches me how to compete, for real, just knowing that, 'OK, I do belong here,'" Abney said. "Going against one of the best receivers in the game, if not the best, and getting those reps every day is great because when it comes to game time it’s probably going to be easier. I’m always asking him those questions about like, 'What can I do here? What did you see here?'"

Abney played almost exclusively on the outside over his three seasons at Arizona State, but the Lions viewed him as a nickel from the moment they drafted him. Abney is taking to his new role: "Playing in the slot you kinda get to be like an additional linebacker. You gotta make a lot of calls, so it’s cool being there, you kinda get to control what’s going on," he said.

His goal this season is for his coaches and teammates to "know me as somebody that they can rely on."

"A consistent person, somebody who gives all his effort every play, somebody who’s going to come in and learn and just be a great piece to the team that helps us win games," he said. "That’s all I wanna do, is be someone people can count on."

He's trending in that direction.

Ya-Sin had another strong practice Tuesday as he continues to solidify the CB2 spot across from D.J. Reed. He denied a couple passes to St. Brown, one on a deep ball down the sideline, broke up a slant to Isaac TeSlaa and got home for a sack on a corner blitz. He also got flagged for pass interference on St. Brown before the two strong plays at the goal line by Abney, but you can't win 'em all.

Not against 14.

"It's still open," Dan Campbell said Tuesday of the competition at nickel.

And with Abney on him, St. Brown wasn't.