Emmanuel Forbes, CB Mississippi State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Forbes was a four-star recruit from Grenada High School in Grenada, Miss. in the class of 2020

Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes is the active leader in career interceptions and interceptions returned for touchdowns among FBS defenders. The true junior projects as a top 100 selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. Let’s take an in-depth look at his prospect profile.

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Emmanuel Forbes, CB Mississippi State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior outside cornerback from Grenada, Miss.

Background: Forbes was a four-star recruit from Grenada High School in Grenada, Miss. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 186 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 229 for Rivals, and No. 168 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 247th in the nation with an 81 grade out of 100. As a high school senior, Forbes amassed 49 tackles, eight interceptions, 12 passes defensed, and two defensive touchdowns. He also caught 31 passes for 499 yards and seven touchdowns. While at Grenada, Forbes also lettered in basketball and baseball. According to MaxPreps, he averaged 7.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game as a junior on the basketball team. MaxPreps also credits Forbes with 43 tackles, four interceptions, and 463 all-purpose yards as a junior. The website credits him with four interceptions as a sophomore, two career defensive touchdowns, and two career punt return touchdowns. Forbes was invited to the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game. He has ten siblings and was born on Jan. 13, 2001.

2021 Production: 13 games, 59 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 3 interceptions, 4 passes defensed

2020 Production: 11 games, 45 tackles, 0.5 tackle for loss, 5 interceptions, 6 passes defensed, 3 touchdowns

Injuries & Off-Field: Carted off against LSU (2021), missed Auburn game (2022)

Awards: 2020 Freshman All-SEC, 2020-21 All-Bowl Team (Associated Press)

Pros: Ball production, surprising number of house calls, special teams snaps on the kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units, excellent ball tracking skills, high points the ball and makes interceptions outside of his frame, rolls downhill to challenge wide receiver screens, appears to have excellent length, long strides and speed to carry vertical routes and avoid being stacked, good not great long speed, hips allow for fluid flips and aren’t tight, willing to crash downhill and make a play against the run occasionally, reads the quarterback’s eyes to undercut routes, ample experience in man and zone concepts, squeezes routes along the sideline, impressive usage in press against Texas A&M (2022), best in press when using soft-shoe technique, targets the football at the catch point, length to battle and batter receivers early in routes, instinctive when he has eyes on the quarterback

Cons: Missed tackles are a concern, doesn’t wrap which leads to missed tackles, heavily penalized in 2022, thin throughout frame, appears high-hipped, long steps sometimes leave him unbalanced, stumbles surprising number of times, limited to no experience in the slot, not an enthusiastic run defender, some difficulty staying attached to receivers at the tops of their routes, footwork appears hoppy at times, foot speed varies, low play strength shows up in tackles and block shedding, backpedal is high with waist bend, hand placement in press is too predictable and easy to avoid, punches in press aren’t stiff, quick to declare his hips, struggles to navigate through congested route lanes, struggles staying attached to receivers on crossers, transitions are a step slow and leggy, lunges in press coverage throws him off balance, hit-or-miss if he’ll stay attached to the receiver early in press coverage, chunk of interceptions came on easily caught deflections, poor effort as an open-field tackler, driven backward by blocking receivers

Overview: Forbes is unofficially listed at 6'0", 180 lbs. He’s an outside corner who primarily lines up on the right side of the field regardless of if it’s the boundary or field side. Forbes played to both the right and left sides of the alignment against Kentucky in 2021 and 2022, but he didn’t shift in other matchups. His ball production ranks among the best in the 2023 cornerback class. Forbes owns the SEC and FBS pick-six records with six to date. He has excellent ball tracking skills and high points the ball to make interceptions outside of his frame. Forbes targets the football at the catch point, and his long arms create a large sphere of influence. His length also helps him battle and batter receivers early in routes. Forbes has some limitations in press coverage and appears at his best when using the soft-shoe press technique. Soft-shoe press coverage is unique because the defensive back is less aggressive at the line of scrimmage and doesn’t begin to physically engage the receiver until he enters his stem. Forbes’ long strides and speed allow him to carry vertical routes and avoid being stacked. He lacks elite speed but is fast enough to stick with most receivers. Forbes has high hips, but they’re fluid and allow him to flip in transition with little to no hesitation. The true junior reads the quarterback’s eyes to undercut routes and is instinctive when he has eyes on the quarterback. Forbes is experienced in man and zone concepts and squeezes routes along the sideline. He charges downhill to challenge wide receiver screens and is willing to drive and make plays against the run occasionally. Unfortunately, missed tackles are a major concern for Forbes. He doesn’t wrap up on his tackle attempts and lacks the power in his extremely thin frame to bring down offensive players without getting square and wrapping up. Forbes’ appetite as a run defender is hot and cold, usually leaning toward cold. He’s less than enthusiastic about initiating contact. His low play strength shows up in tackles and block shedding. Blocking wide receivers easily contain and drive Forbes back. The former four-star recruit is thin throughout his frame with high hips. His long steps sometimes leave him unbalanced and occasionally lead to stumbling. Forbes’ footwork appears hoppy at times, and his foot speed varies between ideal and subpar. His backpedal is high and includes bending at the waist. Forbes flips his hips well, but his transitions are sometimes a step slow and leggy. His punches in press are weak and too predictable, making them easy to avoid. In true press coverage (instead of soft-shoe), he’ll lunge to throw ineffective punches and end up off balance and in a trail position. The Mississippi native is quick to declare his hips and has some difficulty staying attached to receivers at the tops of their routes. He struggles to navigate through congested route lanes over the middle of the field. Forbes has little to no experience working in the slot. A decent chunk of his interceptions came on opportune deflections.

Overall, Forbes is a big play cornerback with good ball skills, height, instincts, and length, but he lacks the frame to contribute in all areas of the game. Forbes won’t offer much as a run defender, and he shouldn’t be tasked with snaps as a true press corner. He lacks the fluidity and footwork to consistently stay attached to receivers in man coverage, making him best fit for a zone-heavy scheme. Forbes currently projects as a top 100 selection.

Role & Scheme Fit: Outside corner in a zone-heavy scheme with press opportunities

Round Projection: Late Second to Late Third

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 11-24-22