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Keith Abney II, Keyshaun Elliott selected in the NFL Draft

Sun Devil Football had a pair of representatives drafted in the fifth round, with Abney II going to the Detroit Lions and Elliott taken by the Chicago Bears. Several other Sun Devils signed undrafted free agent deals or were invited to training camps.

Tyson, Iheanachor selected in first round of 2026 NFL Draft Opens in a new window Sun Devil Athletics Draft Picks Opens in a new window Chicago Bears get 'excellent value' in ASU linebacker Keyshaun Elliott (The Athletic) Opens in a new window How Keith Abney will impact the Detroit Lions (Yahoo Sports) Opens in a new window
Keith Abney II, Keyshaun Elliott selected in the NFL DraftKeith Abney II, Keyshaun Elliott selected in the NFL Draft

New NFL Draft picks Keith Abney II (left) and Keyshaun Elliott (right) while they were members of the Sun Devil Football program.

by Connor Smith

Sun Devil Football was at the center of the 2026 NFL Draft, as the program enjoyed a historic weekend in Pittsburgh. Arizona State had four players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, the most for the program since 2015. Jordyn Tyson (New Orleans Saints) and Max Iheanachor (Pittsburgh Steelers) went in the first round on Thursday, with Keith Abney II (Detroit Lions) and Keyshaun Elliott (Chicago Bears) hearing their names called in the fifth round on Saturday. Several other members of the 2025 Sun Devil Football team have signed undrafted free agents deals or are in negotiations to join the rookie camps of franchises in the near future. 

DB Keith Abney II - 17th pick, 5th round (157th overall; Detroit Lions)

  • Abney II becomes the first Sun Devil defensive back to get drafted since Jack Jones was selected in the fourth round (121st overall pick) of the 2022 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.
  • He is the first Sun Devil to be drafted by the Detroit Lions since Chase Lucas went in the seventh round (237th overall pick) of the 2022 NFL Draft.
  • Abney II is the 13th Sun Devil all-time to be drafted by the Detroit Lions.
  • He is the 32nd defensive back drafted into the NFL out of Arizona State.
  • Abney is the first Sun Devil that started and ended his career at ASU in the Kenny Dillingham era to get drafted into the NFL.

LB Keyshaun Ellliott - 26th pick, 5th round (166th overall; Chicago Bears)

  • Elliott becomes the first Sun Devil linebacker to get drafted since Christian Sam was selected in the sixth round (178th overall pick) of the 2018 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.
  • He is the first Sun Devil to be drafted by the Chicago Bears since Will Sutton went in the third round (82nd overall pick) of the 2014 NFL Draft.
  • Elliott is the 12th Sun Devil all-time to be drafted by the Chicago Bears.
  • The last linebacker to be picked in the first five rounds out of Arizona State was Carl Bradford, who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers.
  • He is the 26th linebacker drafted into the NFL out of Arizona State.

Undrafted free agents/rookie camp invites
An additional eight Sun Devils were either signed as undrafted free agents or received invitations to attend a NFL rookie camp.

DB Xavion Alford - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
DL Prince Dorbah - Buffalo Bills
WR Malik McClain - New York Jets
TE Chamon Metayer - Pittsburgh Steelers
LB Jordan Crook - Seattle Seahawks
DB Myles "Ghost" Rowser - Seattle Seahawks 
DB Nyland Green - Atlanta Falcons 
DL Jacob Rich Kongaika - New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks

Several more Sun Devils are in negotiations to join franchises in the near future.

Sun Devil Football at the NFL Draft

  • Four Sun Devil Football student-athletes were selected in the same NFL Draft for the first time since 2022 (Rachaad White, Jack Jones, D.J. Davidson, and Chase Lucas).
  • Four Sun Devil Football student-athletes were selected in the first five rounds of the same NFL Draft for the first time since 2015 (Damarious Randall, Jaelen Strong, Jamil Douglas, Marcus Hardison).
  • This is the 32nd time that Sun Devil Football has had four or more players selected in a single NFL Draft.
  • 2015 is also the last time that Arizona State had two defensive and two offensive players selected in the NFL Draft.
  • The 2026 NFL Draft produced 38 total picks from Big 12 programs, marking the most ever in Conference history.  The Conference’s three top-10 picks, which included Jordyn Tyson, marked its most since the 2012 NFL Draft.
  • Arizona State produced four NFL Draft picks, tied for the second-most of any Big 12 program. The four selections in the top-five rounds out of ASU were the second-most of any program, trailing only Texas Tech.
  • Two Sun Devil Football student-athletes were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft for the first time since Adam Archuleta (St. Louis Rams; Round 1/Pick 20) and Todd Heap (Baltimore Ravens; Round 1/Pick 31) both came off the board in the 2001 NFL Draft before enjoying successful professional careers.
  • It is the fourth time that Arizona State has had two first round picks in the same NFL Draft. In addition to the aforementioned 2001 draft, the program also accomplished the feat in 1988 (Randall McDaniel/Aaron Cox) and 1976 (Mike Haynes/Larry Gordon).
  • This is the first time since 1988 (McDaniel 19th, Cox 20th) and only third-time ever (1976 - Haynes 5th, Gordon 17th) that ASU has had two student-athletes in the Top-21 picks of the first round.
  • Tyson and Iheanachor become the 27th and 28th first round NFL Draft picks from Arizona State.
  • ASU is one of nine schools that had at least two first round picks. They are one of two Big 12 schools to accomplish the feat, joined by Utah. The two first round picks were more than notable programs such as Georgia, Michigan, Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Tennessee, Florida State, Texas Tech, Penn State, Florida, and USC.
  • Sun Devil Football is one of only four programs to have two student-athletes selected in the Top-21 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft. They are joined by Ohio State (4), Alabama (2), and Miami (2).

Schools with the most first round draft picks:
1. Ohio State: 4
2. Miami: 3
T3. Arizona State: 2 (WR Jordyn Tyson & OL Max Iheanachor)
T3. Indiana: 2 (QB Fernando Mendoza & WR Omar Cooper Jr.)
T3. Notre Dame: 2 (RBs Jeremiyah Love & Jadarian Price)
T3. Utah: 2 (OL Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu)
T3. Alabama: 2 (OL Kadyn Proctor & QB Ty Simpson)
T3. Clemson: 2 (OL Blake Miller & DT Peter Woods)
T3. Oregon: 2 (TE Kenyon Sadiq & S Dillon Thieneman)

Sun Devil Football NFL Draft picks under Dillingham (5)

2026 (4)

  • Jordyn Tyson: New Orleans Saints, round 1, pick 8
  • Max Iheanachor: Pittsburgh Steelers, round 1, pick 21
  • Keith Abney III: Detroit Lions, round 5, pick 17 (157th overall)
  • Keyshaun Elliott: Chicago Bears, round 5, pick 26 (166th overall)

2025 (1)

Sun Devil Football at the 2026 NFL Draft

  • Jordyn Tyson becomes the highest-selected Sun Devil since Mike Haynes went 5th overall in the 1976 NFL Draft to the New England Patriots. Haynes went on to have a Pro Football Hall of Fame career.
  • Tyson is the eighth Top-10 NFL Draft pick in program history. Other Top-10 selections that were products of Sun Devil Football included...
    • WR Jordyn Tyson (2026, 8th pick by New Orleans)
    • DL Terrell Suggs (2003, 10th pick by Baltimore)
    • OL Levi Jones (2002, 10th pick by Cincinnati)
    • RB Gerald Riggs (1982, 9th pick by Atlanta)
    • DL Al Harris (1979, 9th pick by Chicago)
    • DB Mike Haynes (1976, 5th pick by New England)
    • WR J.D. Hill (1971, 4th pick by Buffalo)
    • RB Charley Taylor (1964, 3rd pick by Washington)
  • Tyson becomes the highest-selected Sun Devil wide receiver since J.D. Hill went 4th overall in the 1971 NFL Draft to the Buffalo Bills
  • Tyson is the eighth wide receiver taken in the first round of the NFL Draft out of Arizona State.
    • Jordyn Tyson (2026, 8th pick by New Orleans)
    • Brandon Aiyuk (2020, 25th pick by San Francisco)
    • N'Keal Harry (2019, 32nd pick by New England)
    • Aaron Cox (1988, 20th pick by Los Angeles)
    • John Jefferson (1978, 14th pick by San Diego)
    • Steve Holden (1973, 16th pick by Cleveland)
    • J.D. Hill (1971, 4th pick by Buffalo)
    • John Pitts (1967, 22nd pick by Buffalo)
  • Tyson is the 37th overall wide receiver to be drafted into the NFL from the Sun Devil Football program.
  • He is the sixth Sun Devil to be drafted by the Saints and is the only first round pick by New Orleans from Arizona State. It is the first time the Saints have used a pick on a player from ASU since 2005 when they selected defensive tackle Jimmy Verdon in the seventh round.
  • Tyson becomes just the second Sun Devil student-athlete to be selected with the No. 8 overall pick in the first round of a professional draft, joining Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Famer Mike Leake, who was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2009 MLB Draft out of the eighth slot.
  • Max Iheanachor becomes the highest-selected Sun Devil offensive lineman since 2002 when Levi Jones went 10th overall to the Bengals.
  • He is the third offensive lineman taken in the first round of the NFL Draft out of Arizona State.
    • Max Iheanachor (2026, 21st pick by Pittsburgh)
    • Levi Jones (2002, 10th pick by Cincinnati)
    • Randall McDaniel (1988, 19th pick by Minnesota)
  • Iheanachor is the 22nd Top-25 NFL Draft pick in program history.
  • Iheanachor is the 38th overall offensive lineman to be drafted into the NFL from the Sun Devil Football program.
  • He is the eighth Sun Devil to be drafted by the Steelers and is only the second first round pick by Pittsburgh from Arizona State, joining quarterback Mark Malone.
    • OL Max Iheanachor (Round 1, pick 21 in 2026)
    • OL Marvel Smith (Round 2, pick 38 in 2000)
    • DL Jeremy Staat (Round 2, pick 41 in 1998)
    • DB Jason Simmons (Round 5, pick 137 in 1998)
    • OL John Meyer (Round 2, pick 43 in 1982)
    • LB Bob Kohrs (Round 2, pick 35 in 1980)
    • QB Mark Malone (Round 1, pick 28 in 1980)
    • RB John Henry Johnson (Round 2, pick 18 in 153)
  • Iheanachor becomes the first offensive lineman from ASU to be drafted since Guard Sam Jones went in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft to the Broncos.