Adam Peters didn't think much of the draft picks made by former head coach Ron Rivera. The Washington Commanders wasted no time in disposing of many high-end selections, and very few have caught on elsewhere.
However, there is an exception. And just when all hope seemed lost, one player deemed a bust by everyone associated with the Commanders has officially turned the tables on Washington in the best possible way.
Emmanuel Forbes Jr. was the apple of Rivera's eye during his final draft in 2023. He thought the undersized cornerback could become the lockdown force Washington desperately needed, taking him over Christian Gonzalez at No. 16 overall. What he failed to recognize was the significant development he needed to flourish.
Emmanuel Forbes Jr. is silencing all doubters one year after Commanders cut ties
Forbes got thrown to the wolves. He was physically outmatched, technically deficient in tackling, and sapped of confidence right from the outset. The pressure of Rivera clinging to his job proved to be his undoing, and the Commanders' new regime had no use for the Mississippi State product.
He wasn't a good fit in Quinn's defensive plans, especially with how much press coverage they ran last season. Forbes' role diminished, and he was eventually waived. But the Los Angeles Rams have provided the perfect environment to galvanize his career.
The defensive back has come to life this season. Forbes looks assured and capable, making plays consistently. Just one week after locking down Jaxon Smith-Njigba — the hottest wide receiver in the league right now — he was nothing short of sensational on Sunday Night Football as the Rams demolished the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to move into the NFC's No. 1 seed.
Forbes caught the eye impressively from start to finish, securing no fewer than five pass breakups. This was a sign of how far he's come in a relatively short timeframe. It's also a sign of just how important coaching and scheme are to a player's early transition from college to the pros.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Nobody was shedding tears when Forbes was let go, so to say otherwise is just revisionist history. Rivera put too much on him early, and he paid a heavy price. Any slender momentum he had was lost long before the Commanders cut this experiment short. And sometimes, a player needs a fresh start.
The Rams have unlocked the magic in Forbes. The lightbulb has finally come on. And there are a lot of first-round picks in his situation who don't manage to turn things around so emphatically.
Good for him.