Ranking every Commanders' 2023 draft pick ahead of rookie minicamp
By Glen Rorie
This week we will get our first look at the Washington Commanders 2023 NFL Draft picks during the team's upcoming rookie minicamp.
The Washington Commanders have their rookie minicamp scheduled for Thursday, May 11. There is a fair amount of excitement for this class and a lot of eyes on them as well.
Ron Rivera filled some key needs and added another weapon for new play-caller Eric Bieniemy throughout his seven selections. A large number of undrafted free agents and those invited for tryouts will also be looking to stake their own claim in the coming days.
Regardless of when they were drafted, there are expectations with each draftee this offseason. Here is a list ranking which Commanders' rookie has the highest weight on their shoulders for this minicamp and onwards.
Rookie No. 1
Emmanuel Forbes - Commanders CB
Without a doubt, Emmanuel Forbes had to be first on the list. As mentioned in numerous articles, the Washington Commanders lacked explosive production from their secondary in regard to takeaways and the No. 16 overall selection was a ballhawk at Mississippi State.
Another thing to note is the current depth of the Commanders' cornerbacks. Outside of Kendall Fuller, the team does not have a true No. 2 option.
Benjamin St-Juste has shown glimpses of promise, but he dealt with injuries last season. He played 12 times in 2022 but missed some important contests down the stretch.
On top of that, he is still young and developing at the professional level coming into his third year.
The rest of the Commanders' corners are either young, coming into their own, or not skilled enough to be a starter yet. This leaves space for Forbes to move up the depth chart quickly depending on his play this offseason.