NFL Draft 2023: 5 worst picks of the first round

Did Washington take the wrong corner in the NFL Draft? (Emmanuel Forbes, No. 16)

The cornerback class has drawn raves from scouts and experts as one of the best in recent memory. For a team that needed cornerback help, the Washington Commanders did well to grab one in Mississippi State’s Emmanuel Forbes, but they must have a higher grade on him than many experts.

Widely projected to be in the mix as the sixth or seventh corner off the board, Forbes was the second selected ahead of more polished prospects like Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez and Maryland’s Deonte Banks. There is no doubting that Forbes has the ball skills to play at the next level but his wire-thin frame may not hold up against the bigger receivers he’ll face in the NFL.

The selection of Forbes may be a case of the right church, wrong pew argument where the Commanders made a need pick but got the wrong guy to fill the need. Taking Forbes over Gonzalez, who Bill Belichick eagerly jumped on with the next pick, could be a decision that backfires on Washington in the long run.

The Commanders will need Forbes to make an immediate impact in a division with CeeDee Lamb and Philadelphia’s dynamic duo of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Whether Forbes is tough enough to handle those assignments remains to be seen.