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Emmanuel Forbes could be a ballhawk at corner for the Commanders

Hogs Haven takes a look at 2023 NFL Draft prospects that could contribute to the Commanders

By dg28
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 08 Arkansas at Mississippi State Photo by Chris McDill/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Emmanual Forbes, CB

School: Mississippi State | Conference: SEC

College Experience: Junior | Age: 22

Height / Weight: 6’ / 180 lbs

Projected Draft Status: 2nd - 3rd Round

Player Comparison: Troy Hill

College Statistics

Defense & Fumbles Table
Tackles Def Int Fumbles
Year School Conf Class Pos G Solo Ast Tot Loss Sk Int Yds Avg TD PD FR Yds TD FF
*2020 Mississippi State SEC FR CB 10 23 22 45 0.5 0.0 5 183 36.6 3 6 0 0
*2021 Mississippi State SEC SO CB 13 45 14 59 5.0 1.0 3 33 11.0 0 4 0 1
*2022 Mississippi State SEC JR CB 12 26 20 46 1.0 0.0 6 174 29.0 3 10 0 0 0 0
Career Mississippi State 94 56 150 6.5 1.0 14 390 27.9 6 20 0 0 0 1
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 2/8/2023.

Player Overview

A four-star cornerback prospect from Mississippi, Forbes decided to stay in state and play for the Bulldogs. A starter as a true freshman, Forbes rewarded Mississippi State with consistent, impactful play throughout his career. Relying on his skills playing receiver in high school, Forbes had 14 total interceptions in his three-year career, returning six of those for touchdowns, an all-time FBS record. Forbes wasn’t a finesse corner, accumulating at least 40 tackles in each season.

Strengths

  • A long corner that uses his length to close the space between him and the receiver
  • Experience in man and zone, but excels at reading the QB and receiver in zone coverage
  • Ballhawk with penchant for turning picks into touchdowns
  • Despite size, a willing tackler who can be an asset in run support

Weaknesses

  • Very slim frame that could make matchups with big WRs tough
  • Has trouble sinking his hips and changing direction quickly
  • Can be too aggressive, especially in press man
  • Long speed is a question

Let’s see his work

How he fits on the Commanders

This is a deep cornerback draft class with a lot of talented prospects. The tape shows that Forbes is talented, but he might be a better fit for teams like Washington that play a lot of zone coverage. These things, along with his size, might sit Forbes behind other cornerback prospects in this draft. That could work in the Commanders favor if they draft offensive line or another position in the first round and Forbes is available at their second-round pick. He could come in an compete with current starters Kendall Fuller and Benjamin St-Juste, or serve as depth that gets worked into the defense throughout the season. Fuller will be a free agent after next season and St-Juste has struggled with injuries, so a player like Forbes might have an opportunity for a big role on the team sooner rather than later.

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