Twitter GMs were going wild during the first round of the 2023 NFL draft Thursday when the Washington Commanders selected Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes at No. 16 overall.
The reasons were endless. “How can you take Forbes over Christian Gonzalez?” “He’s too skinny.” “We had him as a second-round pick.”
There are multiple reasons Washington should be excited about Forbes. The 6-foot-1 cornerback weighs only 166 pounds, but in three years at Mississippi Stae, playing in the SEC against the best players in college football, Forbes set an FBS record with six interceptions returned for touchdowns.
Devon Witherspoon was the top cornerback in the 2023 NFL draft and was drafted accordingly, going to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 5 overall. Gonazlez was widely considered the second-ranked cornerback, but teams with a need at cornerback passed on Gonzalez, including Washington.
But, according to Next Gen Stats, it was Forbes who was the 2023 draft’s second-ranked cornerback.
RD 1 | PK 16 – Commanders: Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State
Forbes, the all-time FBS leader in pick sixes (6), earned the 2nd-highest overall draft score (88) among cornerbacks in this year's class. pic.twitter.com/t6GnxAVQUJ
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) April 28, 2023
The Commanders filled a significant need Thursday by adding the draft’s top defensive playmaker in Forbes.
