Washington Commanders Rookie Emmanuel Forbes Showing Growth Despite Poor Stats

Emmanuel Forbes allowed two touchdowns in the Washington Commanders loss against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 3, 2023

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Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders first-round rookie Emmanuel Forbes has been an easy target for opposing offenses in the first four games of his career.

Forbes came into the league standing 6-0 and weighing in at just 166 pounds, but his knack for playmaking and finding the football propelled the Commanders to draft him with the No. 16 overall pick.

In the NFL, teams have targeted Forbes for his size by putting massive top receivers on him. This past weekend, it was Philadelphia Eagles standout A.J. Brown, who scored a pair of touchdowns while Forbes was covering him.

“I think they took an experienced guy and did some things," coach Ron Rivera said. "They ran that bubble and go and he guessed. You have to be disciplined. You have to read your keys and make your plays.”

Washington Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes / USA Today

Receivers defended by Forbes caught nine passes on Sunday, adding to one of the worst yards totals by any cornerback in the NFL. But Rivera is being patient with his young cornerback.

“Absolutely, it is the only way they can grow," Rivera said. "Be out on the football field, make your mistakes, make your plays, learn, and get better.”

Forbes has time to figure things out. Despite being one of the most targeted corners in the league, Forbes has made some plays, including an interception in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos.

It's still far too early to determine if Forbes is a bust or not, but it's safe to say that he's got some lessons to learn early on in his career.

Forbes and the Commanders host the Chicago Bears this week. Kickoff is scheduled for Thursday at 8:15 p.m. inside FedEx Field.

Published Oct 3, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.