NFL Draft: Commanders 'Didn't Really Care' About Emmanuel Forbes' Weight

Washington Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes, the No. 16 overall pick in the NFL Draft, is one of the lightest players in the NFL.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 30, 2023

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are taking a risk by selecting Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes with their first-round pick.

Forbes is incredibly talented and has a knack for turning the ball over, producing an NCAA-record six pick-sixes during his collegiate career. However, at the NFL level, players are bigger and faster, and Forbes clocks in as the third-lightest player in the league, weighing just 166 pounds.

However, Forbes says that his size isn't an issue for him or the Commanders.

“Weight is going to come over time," Forbes said. "I'm not going to stress about it, they didn't have a problem with it, that's why they drafted me, so I'm just going to enjoy it and just keep on being myself and trying to gain weight but be comfortable.

“Honestly, they didn't really care too much about my weight because I can play ball. That's all that matters and it never affected my game, so it really didn't play a factor.”

Forbes can play ball and is expected to do so right away. He projects to be a starter alongside Benjamin St-Juste if everything goes according to plan in training camp. There's also a chance the team may depend on him even more if they decide to part ways with veteran Kendall Fuller in order to save some cap space.

Regardless of where he plays this season, the Commanders have shown a ton of confidence in their first-round pick.

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Published Apr 30, 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.