A few seasons ago, cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. looked like one of the NFL’s biggest draft misfires. The 2023 first-round pick out of Mississippi State -- once heralded as one of the most prolific ballhawks in SEC history -- had become the symbol of the Washington Commanders' defensive dysfunction.
The story, at least in D.C., was simple: Forbes couldn’t play.
The wiry corner, known for his playmaking instincts and lean frame, never found his footing under then-head coach Ron Rivera’s staff.
He was benched multiple times as a rookie, shuffled in and out of lineups, and eventually became collateral damage in a franchise overhaul.