Commanders News: Sam Howell, Emmanuel Forbes, Jahan Dotson and Chase Young
By Dean Jones
Commanders CB Emmanuel Forbes' outlook
One of the biggest positives to emerge from Sunday's win at the New England Patriots was the emergence of Emmanuel Forbes. The rookie cornerback got the chance to accumulate significant reps for the first time in weeks, which he took full advantage of en route to a positive display that secured a sensational 91.3 grade from Pro Football Focus as a result of his efforts.
This was a huge step in the right direction for the No. 16 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. There are some things to clean up, which were sentiments echoed by head coach Ron Rivera based on comments via the team's website.
"He [Emmanuel Forbes] still has a ways to go. He did some good things, but there's still some things that we're missing that he's gotta get better at, and he's gotta understand how important those things are."
- Ron Rivera via Commanders.com
The Washington Commanders come up against another physically dominant wide receiver next time out in D.K. Metcalf. Putting Forbes on him consistently would be foolish, but the defensive back could make another valuable contribution versus other pass-catchers if he builds on this newfound momentum.
It's been a real baptism of fire where Forbes is concerned over the first half of 2023. Growing pains were expected given his lack of NFL experience, but there's now hope the Mississippi State product can begin fulfilling his enormous promise.