Photo by Mike Mattina - Mississippi State Athletics

Height	Weight	Arm Length	Hand Size
6'1"	166 lbs.	32 1/4"	8 1/2"

Games	Tackles	Tackles for Loss	Sacks	Pass defended	Interceptions	Forced Fumbles	Touchdowns
35	150	6.5	1.0	20	14	1	6

40 Yard Dash	Bench Press	Vertical Jump	Broad Jump	3-Cone Drill	20 Yard Shuttle
4.35 Sec	N/A	37.5"	10'11"	N/A	N/A

Pros

• Phenomenal athlete at the position.

• Legit track speed on deep balls and is backed up by phenomenal 40 at the combine.

 

• Aggressive style of play gives receivers trouble in every phase.

 

• Good pop off the line when punching receivers.

 

• Sticky in press coverage throughout route.

 

• Explodes out stance in off-man coverage when he sees the football.

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• Recovery speed in man coverage is excellent and has enough length to competently stay in the play from behind.

 

• Speed and agility is evident in zone with his expansive area of responsibility in coverage.

 

• Movements in zone are calculated with few false steps.

 

• Reads quarterbacks eyes very well and reacts quickly to throws.

 

• Good length for the position shrinks passing window for receiver.

 

• Aggressive when contesting catches that often result in defended passes.

 

• Best ball hawk in the draft with no close 2nd.

 

• Soft hands for the position catch every ball in his sights.

 

• Punches hard into catch point to dislodge football.

 

• Elite route recognition allows him to time route jumps perfectly.

 

• Six interceptions for touchdowns shows rare playmaking ability.

 

• Top 3 football IQ in the entire draft in my opinion.

 

• Diagnoses plays at an elite and production proves his blood hound nose for the football.

 

• Schematically and positionally versatile.

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• Willing tackler with admirable toughness.

 

• Played in the SEC against some of the best receivers college football has to offer.

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• 15 career interceptions proves he's not just shooting blind when making plays

Cons

• Frame is very skinny for the NFL and will need to add substantial mass to ensure longevity.

• To light currently to effective press bigger receivers.

 

• More than few interceptions have been tipped balls in his direction.

 

• More of a dragger than a tackler due to light weight build.

 

• Overly aggressive playmaking tendencies make him bite like a piranha on sluggos.

 

• Can get fooled by clever quarterbacks with look-offs and pump fakes.

 

• Too confident at times in his instincts which leads to freelance work on the outside, which will likely be an issue with coaches. 

 

• Bigger receivers can get significant separation at the top of routes.

 

• Overaggressive coverage style in man can lead to PI's at the top of routes, six of which came in 2022.

 

• Technique in coverage fades at times when he freelances, especially footwork.

 

• Viewed by many as "Gambler" at the position which has negative connotations in the NFL.

Overview

Emmanuel Forbes Jr. all or nothing style of coverage made him one of the most dangerous cornerbacks in college football and was a player most quarterbacks and offensive coordinators feared targeting.  He was often too smart and too athletic for receivers to elude offensive minds to trick and his production at Mississippi State showed a player with immense potential on the outside in the NFL. Forbes Jr. possesses a rare IQ and an even rarer confidence at the position to go with it and many occasions he would freelance in coverage when he smelled something coming his way however most NFL coaches aren't simply going to give a rookie cornerback carte blanche  in coverage to make a play without proving his method to his madness. In my opinion, any coach that drafts him has to at the very least give him a long leash as a rookie to try and make plays because if he can diagnose routes and offensive plays at as high a level as I think he can, Forbes Jr. could be a Marcus Peters/Trevon Diggs level player his rookie year and be an absolute highlight reel on defense. If their was anything that I would say he needs to do is gain at the least 20+ lbs. at the position to better withstand the rigors of the NFL.