Commanders News: Draft grade, Andre Jones, Ron Rivera and Emmanuel Forbes

Commanders have no concerns with Emmanuel Forbes

The Washington Commanders got their guy by spending the No. 16 overall selection on Emmanuel Forbes. While there’s no doubting the player’s credentials as the best ball-hawking cornerback in this year’s class, many concerns have been raised about his weight and how it might hold up against NFL opposition.

Forbes was one of the lightest prospects ever taken in the first round. This hasn’t impacted his ability to perform at an extremely high level in college, but adding additional muscle mass is something the player and Washington should be working toward before the regular season.

When discussing the doubts via Sports Illustrated recently, Forbes revealed the Commanders had no real issues about his size. After all, being a legitimate playmaker is far more important.

"“Weight is going to come over time. I’m not going to stress about it, they didn’t have a problem with it, that’s why they drafted me, so I’m just going to enjoy it and just keep on being myself and trying to gain weight but be comfortable. Honestly, they didn’t really care too much about my weight because I can play ball. That’s all that matters and it never affected my game, so it really didn’t play a factor.”"

Managing his weight and putting together a nutritional program that bulks up Forbes’ frame should be high on the Commanders’ list of priorities. However, it’s important to consider the impact this could have on the defensive back’s speed and explosiveness when push comes to shove.

If the Commanders could get Forbes up to around 180-90 pounds in time for the new campaign, the better his chances will be.