Commander Country

NFL Draft: Why Commanders Selected CB Emmanuel Forbes With No. 16 Pick

The Commanders selected cornerback Emmanuel Forbes with the No. 16 pick as Jack Del Rio's unit gets a player who takes the ball away for fun.

Adam Schultz

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The Washington Commanders entered the NFL Draft with no apparent need that had to be addressed to its roster. 

Holding the No. 16 pick, Washington fortified its defense by adding Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes. The ball-hawking cornerback can be paired with veteran Kendall Fuller and Benjamin St-Juste and improves a unit that only produced nine interceptions last year.

Forbes had a career year in terms of interceptions, as he grabbed six interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns. He totaled 14 interceptions in his college career, and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio adds to his unit with a player who takes the ball away for fun.

With Washington’s defense being the seventh-best in the NFL regarding points against last season (20.2 per game), adding another cornerback who can take the ball away gives the Commanders another helpful option in the secondary.

For all the good things Washington did defensively last season, they could only manage nine interceptions which is relatively low. 

With Forbes, the Commanders get some help taking the ball away as they ranked 26th in the NFL for takeaways, and with the Mississippi State cornerback, Del Rio fills a need that is crucial in the NFL today.

The offense is set with Sam Howell and a host of weapons in Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Jahan Dotson, and Brian Robinson Jr., so going defense with their first-round pick makes sense for Washington.

The Commanders now have a decent secondary that Darrick Forrest and Fuller will lead, so Forbes has great leaders to learn from as he makes his way in the NFL.

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Adam Schultz
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