Commanders Coach Ron Rivera Praises 'Ball Hawk' Emmanuel Forbes

Washington Commanders first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes continues to draw rave reviews in his first offseason with the team.

When the Washington Commanders used the No. 16 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on cornerback Emmanuel Forbes, there were some who thought taking someone who is 166 pounds in the first round may have been a reach. 

But so far, the Commanders don't seem to be having anything close to buyer's remorse. 

Head coach Ron Rivera was asked about Forbes this week, and praised his ability to end up around the ball without putting himself in position to be called for a penalty. 

"He is a ball hawk," Rivera said. "He does time it out very well, does put himself in position. He's working against some of the best route runners right now in the league, and that's kind of neat to watch this young man grow already. So it's been a very good offseason with him so far. I believe it's only two and a half weeks that we've had him, but it's been good to watch."

The 6-1 cornerback had six interceptions in his final season at Mississippi State, earning him consensus All-American honors. In three collegiate seasons, Forbes had 14 interceptions. Most notably, Forbes returned six of those 14 interceptions for touchdowns. Perhaps that's why a Sports Illustrated article recently predicted that he'll score multiple touchdowns in his rookie season for the Commanders. 

While the Commanders were the lone team in the NFC East not to make the playoffs last year, they still finished at 7-10. A pick-six or two from Forbes could easily lead to an extra win or two. And if second-year quarterback Sam Howell thrives under the tutelage of new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, it's not hard to imagine Washington at least being in the playoff conversation in December. 

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