In strictly football terms, no one probably had a rougher last year on the Washington Commanders than 2023 first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes.
Forbes was riding high coming out of Mississippi State after setting the NCAA Division I FBS record with 6 touchdowns off interception returns and playing his way into the Commanders making hi the No. 16 overall pick.
That’s also right about where the warm and fuzzies ran out.
Forbes was continually criticized for his lack of size at 6-foot-1 and 166 pounds and struggled dramatically through his rookie season. Now, he faces an uphill battle in his second season, with a new coaching staff and front office. Ones that didn’t draft him but still seem to have faith in him.
“Internally, we feel better than externally (about cornerback),” Washington general manager Adam Peters said on the “Grant & Danny Show” on 106.7 The Fan. ““All of these guys have gotten better. Emmanuel Forbes has gotten significantly better, and that’s a testament to how he’s practiced, how he’s worked and how he’s been coached.”
Forbes Likely Playing for NFL Future in 2024
While Forbes might not stick around with the Commanders past this season, he still has the opportunity to show he’s at least a reliable backup or still has potential as a starter.
Forbes will start the season as a backup to Benjamin St. Juste, who started all 16 games for the Commanders in 2023. Free-agent signee Michael Davis is the other starting cornerback and started 74 games for the Los Angeles Chargers over the last 5 seasons.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine had Forbes listed among his disappointing NFL players with something to prove before training camp.
“Most first-round picks enjoy a certain margin for error in their first few years, but that dynamic changes with the arrival of a new front office that didn’t make you a first-round pick,” Ballentine wrote. “With Dan Quinn taking over as head coach and Adam Peters as general manager, the 23-year-old has to prove himself to a new regime.
“… it’s on Forbes to prove his upside is more than hypothetical. His lack of bulk will force him to play with much better technique than he demonstrated this season, and he has to show the coaching staff he’s capable of that.”
One of NFL’s Worst Cornerbacks, According to PFF
Forbes finished his rookie season with 38 tackles, 1 interception and 11 pass deflections in 14 games with 6 starts. According to PFF, Forbes graded out at 50.9% for his rookie season. He was also the worst cornerback in the NFL against the run with a 28.9% grade.
“Following the blueprint of other teams during the regular season, Dallas picked on Forbes in coverage in Week 18,” PFF’s Dalton Wasserman wrote following the 2023 regular season. “He allowed catches on all seven targets into his coverage for 54 yards. He let up four first downs and a Jalen Tolbert touchdown. Forbes had plenty to endure this year, including a heavy target share, a midseason benching and an ejection against Seattle. He also finished with a league-low 28.4 run-defense grade. Washington has a ton of issues to alleviate on defense, one of them being the need for significant improvement in Forbes’ sophomore season.”
