The 2023 NFL draft was one of the deepest in recent memory at cornerback. Four cornerbacks went in the first round, and 12 were selected through the first three rounds.
The second cornerback taken was Emmanuel Forbes at No. 16. The Washington Commanders, at least in the eyes of draft analysts, surprisingly chose Forbes ahead of Christian Gonzalez, who went No. 17 to the New England Patriots. As we learned after the draft, the Commanders liked Forbes so much there were discussions about moving up for him. They always liked Forbes over Gonzalez.
One reason why Washington was so enamored with Forbes was his ball skills. Forbes intercepted 13 passes during his three college seasons at Mississippi State and returned an FBS-record six for touchdowns.
The biggest knock on Forbes was his weight. He weighed 166 pounds ahead of the draft.
The interesting thing about Forbes’ weight, he never missed a game in college due to injury. And he didn’t mind initiating contact in the running game. While that doesn’t mean that good injury luck will follow him to the NFL, it does make you wonder if some focus too much on his size.
Remember, Forbes played in the SEC — college football’s top conference.
How effective will Forbes be as a rookie?
CBS Sports recently predicted the five cornerbacks who would be the most productive as rookies in 2023. Forbes was No. 5, behind Gonzalez, Joey Porter Jr., Deonte Banks and Riley Moss.
As we often say, rankings are subjective. So are predictions.
Here’s what CBS said about Forbes:
Forbes is one unique cat. A hair under 6-foot-1 and… 166 pounds? Skinny! But, hey, Devonta Smith was right at 170 pounds a few years ago and it hasn’t hurt him at the professional level. Plus, lighter, quicker, more explosive players are clearly en vogue in today’s NFL. So maybe Forbes fits right in.
Tackling issues are real with Forbes, but his standout athletic profile and ball production can’t be ignored. Six house calls on interceptions as an SEC cornerback at Mississippi State is no fluke. There’ll be times when Forbes is bullied by the deceptive strength of many No. 1 receivers in the NFL. In zone and off-man coverage, he’ll flash the inherent playmaking abilities that made him the second cornerback off the board in April.
Tackling issues? Come again. The alleged tackling issues aren’t as prevalent as this author said if you watched Forbes play in college. Sure, Forbes isn’t coming at you with the ferocity of Ronnie Lott, but his job is to cover. And he does that well. Until we see Forbes make “business decisions” and choose not to tackle someone or repeatedly miss badly, we’ll reserve judgment on his tackling ability.
As far as his production, the Commanders believe they landed the draft’s top corner and he’ll deliver as soon as 2023.
