NFL Draft: Cowboys Were 'Closely Watching' Commanders CB Emmanuel Forbes

The Dallas Cowboys were interested in Emmanuel Forbes, but the Washington Commanders took him before their NFC East rival had a chance to take him.

Jeremy Brener | May 10, 2023

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are always looking for ways to get ahead of the Dallas Cowboys and the rest of the NFC East. This time, they may have done so without even knowing.

With the No. 16 pick in the NFL Draft, the Commanders selected Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes, who was also a potential option for the Cowboys.

"The Cowboys were closely watching Mississippi State corner Emmanuel Forbes, who went No. 16 overall to Washington," ESPN writes.

The Cowboys eventually narrowed down their target list to Syracuse offensive tackle Matthew Bergeron and Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith, ultimately choosing to take the latter.

The Commanders hope that Forbes can cause chaos against the Cowboys and everyone else on their schedule. Many looked at Washington taking Forbes at No. 26 as a reach, but considering Dallas' interest in him, it may have been the right decision.

"The Washington Commanders might have reached for 166-pound cornerback Emmanuel Forbes in the first round of last month's draft, but it's not hard to see why," Bleacher Report writes. "Forbes is a turnover machine who recorded 14 interceptions and six pick-sixes in three years at Mississippi State. A few more turnovers might be all Washington needs to have the league's best overall defense."

Forbes and the Commanders are set to face the Cowboys twice this season. Washington will find out which dates to circle against Dallas when the NFL releases its schedule Thursday night at 8 p.m.

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Published May 10, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.