Lions get all of their day three picks signed, and one of their picks continues to look like a giant steal

The Lions got one of the biggest steals of the draft, and they also got a steal with the contract they have to pay him

Mike Payton — Detroit Lions Beat Writer
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Dec 7, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Keith Abney II (1) and defensive back Shamari Simmons (7) celebrate during the game between the Iowa State Cyclones and the Arizona State Sun Devils at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions made some franchise history on Monday when they signed second-round pick Derrick Moore to a fully guaranteed contract. It was the first time they’d done that for a second-round pick. But that wasn’t the only news that happened on Monday.

The Lions got all of their day three picks signed to rookie deals

Fourth-round pick Jimmy Rolder signed a four-year, $5.532 million deal that includes a $1.152 million signing bonus. Fifth-round pick Keith Abney signed a four-year, $4.878 million deal that includes a $498,900 signing bonus. Fifth-round pick Kendrick Law signed a four-year, $4.83 million deal that includes a $450,132 signing bonus. Sixth-round pick Skyler Gill-Howard signed a four-year, $4.643 million deal that includes a $263,292 signing bonus, and seventh-round pick Tyre West signed a four-year, $4.547 million deal that includes a $167,292 signing bonus.

Keith Abney is really the big notable one here. He was a major steal in the draft as someone who was projected to go in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft by just about everyone with a pulse. Had he gone in the second round and the Lions got him with the 50th pick, they would have paid him what the guy who actually went at 50, D’Angelo Ponds, got paid.

So at the end of the day, the Lions wound up getting a player who is arguably as good or possibly even better at half the price. It wasn’t just a steal in the draft; it’s a steal at every possible level. Now we wait to see what he can become in the league. The expectation thus far is that he’s the Lions’ next starting slot cornerback in 2026.

As for everyone else, these are pretty standard deals that are understandably larger than they were last year. That’s just part of the business. These draft picks are going to make a little more every year. This year, the deals went up by something in the ballpark of $300,000. Nothing major.

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