Commander Country

Commanders' Terry McLaurin Praises 'Competitor' Emmanuel Forbes: 'He's Gotten Better'

Terry McLaurin is recognizing the work Washington Commanders rookie Emmanuel Forbes is putting in during training camp.

Jeremy Brener

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While Terry McLaurin is the leader of the Washington Commanders offense, first-round rookie cornerback Emmanuel Forbes hopes to emerge as the equivalent on the defense.

McLaurin, one of the best receivers in the NFL, has recognized the progress Forbes has made in his first training camp.

“He's gotten better each and every day," McLaurin said. "I've always tried to encourage him because he's a guy who really likes to learn. He's a sponge and I don't like to lose reps, so I'm gonna give it to him every time I get the opportunity but he's a competitor as well." 

The biggest positive going for Forbes is his playmaking ability. He recorded an NCAA record for pick-sixes with six during his three years at Mississippi State. Forbes may struggle with his size (6-0, 166 pounds), but he has NFL-like tendencies that the Commanders hope will translate on the professional level.

"You could tell he's learning from Kendall and being more patient and understanding route concepts and we're gonna need that," McLaurin said. "And I think one thing that's a strength of his is his ball skills. So, you could definitely see he's getting his hand more on balls from interceptions and PBUs [pass breakups] which on defense, I know they're emphasizing that.”

Forbes recorded a tackle in the Commanders' 17-15 win against the Cleveland Browns, but he's getting far more burn in practice going against McLaurin every day.

On Monday night, Forbes should have the opportunity to line up against Baltimore Ravens receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and fellow rookie Zay Flowers when the Commanders host them at FedEx Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.

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Jeremy Brener
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.

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