How Washington Commanders Scheme Change Should Benefit CB Emmanuel Forbes

The Washington Commanders second-year cornerback should benefit from a scheme that fits his talents better.

David Harrison | Jun 22, 2024

Nov 5, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Washington Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes (13) celebrates during the first half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports / Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:

Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders' offseason overhaul included not only a massive turnover on the roster but on the coaching staff as well.

One of those coaches, defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. echoes the sentiments of head coach Dan Quinn and promises to bring forth a more aggressive, physical, and hunting Commanders defense.

All of those words sound great to Washington fans who grew tired of the more passive defense that hoped to capitalize on opponent mistakes than create them on their own.

One player who should benefit greatly from this shift in strategy is cornerback Emmanuel Forbes who struggled mightily in his rookie season earning him the first-round bust label by many outsiders before he even got a quarter of the way through his rookie contract.

Washington Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes

"With the Commanders' preference for zone coverage, the same pitfalls that derailed William Jackson III's time with the team may have also done in Forbes in his first year.

But year two is a new opportunity, and fortunately for Forbes it's a new fit that appears on paper to be much more tailored to his strengths to begin with.

EMMANUEL FORBES REWIND

Going back to Forbes' final year of college football at Mississippi State the Commanders were drawn to the cornerback's ability to create turnovers and get the ball back for his offense when he wasn't scoring on his own.

It made sense, in theory, because Washington was one of the worst team's - and really has been for a little while - in creating those game-changing moments where the defense rips the heart of an offensive opponent and creates scoring opportunities for their own.

The problem comes with falling in love with production, and that appears to be what the Commanders did when drafting Forbes, who got all six of his final collegiate interceptions while in man coverage according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), and none in zone. All despite playing zone nearly twice as much as he did man.

Of course, with the Commanders' preference for zone coverage, the same pitfalls that derailed William Jackson III's time with the team may have also done in Forbes in his first year.

FORBES, THE ROOKIE

It's hard enough transitioning to the NFL, let alone doing it as a cornerback which some consider the second-hardest position to go from college to the pros in after quarterback, and harder still when the scheme you're playing in just doesn't fit your talents.

Forbes' percentage of man coverage snaps went up in the NFL as did his zone snaps, but the difference between the two was large. In zone, Forbes graded out at 52.3 by PFF and had just two passes defensed despite playing in the coverage scheme more than 50 percent of the time.

Playing in man coverage 30 percent of the time Forbes earned a 62.5 grade which is not great, but significantly better, and had seven passes defensed. In fact, nearly 30 percent of the targets Forbes faced while in man coverage ended with him breaking up the play.

Furthermore, of the 99 NFL cornerbacks that played 318 coverage snaps or more in 2023 Forbes' forced incompletion percentage (FIP%) according to PFF was tied for eigth-best in the league.

His ranking puts him right by Carlton Davis III, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback traded this offseason to the Detroit Lions mostly due to recent injury struggles that have impacted his availability, and Bucs cornerback Jamel Dean who is now the No. 1 corner for Todd Bowles' defense in Tampa.

The difference between Forbes and those two is they played in an aggressive man-heavy scheme, so they got to flex those man coverage skills much more often.

LETTING HIM OFF THE HOOK?

None of this is intended, or even should, excuse Forbes from the improvements he needs to make as a player.

At times he looked utterly lost on the field and his size deficiency that he and those who drafted him tried so hard to dismiss showed up in big ways.

The size thing is never going to go away and even if Forbes dedicates the entirety of his professional career to bulking as much as he can he'll never be a big, or even average sized, corner.

But how he uses the skills he has can be improved. By him, and by the coaching staff responsible for putting him in position to weaponize the skills he does have.

Because when you look back there's no doubt Forbes has great instincts, a knack for finding the ball, and hands better than most not playing receiver.

A lot of those things can falter when confidence is shaken and comfort is disregarded for a coache's desire to be right.

Not unlike Jackson before him, and perhaps not unlike linebacker Jamin Davis, there's a case to be made that Forbes has been misused, miscast, and improperly deployed by the staff that drafted him.

And perhaps its fair to give this new staff a year, and the player a couple, to figure it all out.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

Published Jun 22, 2024

DAVID HARRISON

David Harrison has covered the NFL since 2015 as a digital content creator in both written and audio media. He is the host of Locked On Commanders and a graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. His previous career was as a Military Working Dog Handler for the United States Army. Contact David via email at david.w.harrison82@gmail.com or on Twitter @DHarrison82.