Commanders’ First-Rounder ‘Under Pressure’ to Perform in Year 2

It’s not fair to say one game could undo an entire career — especially not a game during your rookie year.

Yet, somehow, the conversation about Washington Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes always goes back to a Week 4 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023.

Fair or not, it’s reality. And PFF’s Sam Monson has Forbes on his list of players under pressure to perform in their second season after the 2023 first-round pick (No. 16 overall) struggled mightily as a rookie.

“The NFL has been far more ready in recent years to push the boundaries of size thresholds, and so it was last year when the Washington Commanders drafted Emmanuel Forbes at No. 16 overall despite his weighing just 166 pounds at the NFL Combine,” Monson wrote. “In Week 4, Forbes spent much of his time against Philadelphia trying to cover A.J. Brown, who weighs 226 pounds — some 60 pounds heavier than Forbes’ NFL Combine measurement. That went about as well as you would expect (10 targets, six catches, 147 yards and two touchdowns just to that matchup), and Forbes was eventually benched later in the year.”

Forbes played in 14 games with 6 starts in 2023 and is currently listed on the depth chart as a backup to Michael Davis, a free-agent signee who spent the last seven seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Forbes Had Record-Setting College Career in SEC

Forbes was a tantalizing prospect coming out of Mississippi State after he set the NCAA record with six career interceptions returned for touchdowns.

While Forbes ran a blazing, 4.35-second 40-yard dash at the 2023 NFL combine, questions about his size were at the forefront headed into the draft.

“Forbes is long, can run and has a talent for taking the ball away, which means he has a chance to become a coveted cornerback,” NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote. “However, his wire-thin frame does not work in his favor … His slender build and lack of tackle strength will make him a target for opposing running games. Forbes could become an early starter with quality ball production, but teams might need to expect some up-and-down performances.”

Forbes ended up being a target on running plays, as predicted, and graded out at 28.4 percent against the run, according to PFF, and graded out at 50.9 percent overall in 2023. The Commanders also finished last in the NFL in team defense, giving up 338.1 yards per game.

Could the Commanders Still Fill Void at Cornerback?

It might be impossible for Forbes to add the bulk he needs to play cornerback in the NFL at any point this season. While he may have put on some weight, he still doesn’t appear to be over 175 pounds headed into training camp. That’s still at least 15-20 pounds from where he needs to be.

“Washington still has an acute need at cornerback, and Forbes is unlikely to pack on 40 pounds of bulk any time soon,” Monson wrote. “So, he enters his sophomore season in need of rapid development in his ability to succeed at this level as an undersized player, particularly in a division with some big and very good receivers.”