Forbes Future 'Very Much In Question'

A season ago, the Washington Commanders had the worst defense in the league, and one of the biggest holes was at cornerback.

The Commanders had selected Emmanuel Forbes Jr with the No, 16 overall pick hoping that he could produce like he did in college, as he holds the NCAA record for most pick sixes in a career.

Unfortunately, what he did in college has not translated to the NFL. He is vastly undersized (he's 6-0 but came into the league at 166 pounds) and bigger receivers dominate him on the field.

He struggled mightily against the Jets’ Garrett Wilson in joint practices last week and then got burned on a corner route in the preseason game, giving up a touchdown to the Jets’ Jason Brownlee.

Commanders’ insider Sam Fortier believes that his time in Washington is on thin ice and very much in question.

“I think Forbes' future with the team is very much in question, even though he's been taking a lot of starting reps," Fortier said. ...

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“If I were to bet, I'd say the two outside corners in Week 1 right now are Benjamin St-Juste and Michael Davis. I still don't know if Forbes fits into the future vision of this roster.”

In the past, Quinn has preferred bigger cornerbacks that can handle receivers off the line of scrimmage and play press-man or bump-and-run coverage. Forbes just doesn’t have the size or strength to play that type of defense.

It will be interesting to see how the rest of the preseason goes for Forbes as he tries to find a way to fit into this defensive scheme. ... and it will be a challenge for the coaching staff to bend in a way that makes the marriage work.