Commanders News: Sale progress, Emmanuel Forbes, Chase Young, Day 2

Commanders get the total package in Emmanuel Forbes

There were a few eyebrows raised when the Washington Commanders avoided the temptation of taking Christian Gonzalez in favor of Emmanuel Forbes at No. 16 overall. But the late buzz surrounding the explosive cornerback proved true and he was their guy.

Forbes had been on the Commanders’ radar throughout the process. The ballhawk comes into the NFL on the back of a phenomenal final season at Mississippi State and has the credentials that were sorely lacking within Washington’s cornerback room last time around.

General manager Martin Mayhew went one step further when speaking with the team’s website, claiming concerns about his size don’t come across on tape and the Commanders are getting the total package at the position where Forbes is concerned.

"“When you watch his tape, you don’t know that he’s that light. He doesn’t look like that on tape. The guy just has a really good feel as a corner and he has got really good length for press coverage as well. I should mention that. I mean, we talk about his size, but we haven’t talked about his length. He’s tall and he’s long. He gets his hands on guys in press. He disrupts routes, so he’s the total package. He really is.”"

Forbes is competitive, physical, and ultra-fast. His reactions and anticipation are matched by soft hands that made him a turnover machine, which can hopefully transition to the pros and help Washington’s defense take another monumental leap in 2023.