Can he reverse his curse?

Emmanuel Forbes is the second highest drafted player on the Rams roster

The only player who was selected higher in the draft than Emmanuel Forbes is quarterback Matthew Stafford, so obviously there was once something special about the cornerback to cause him to be the 16th overall pick in 2023. Released by the Washington Commanders less than two years into his career, Forbes has his back against the wall trying to prove that he still has whatever that “something” once was shortly ago.

Otherwise, the 24-year-old Forbes could find himself out of a job entirely by the fall.

At OTAs this week, Forbes told the media that being with the team during the offseason has allowed him to play faster than he did as a midseason addition in 2024.

“I got here late in the season so it’s kind of hard to learn the ins and outs of the defense,” Forbes said. “So since I had a whole offseason here, been here most of the time and just learning the ins and outs of the defense, you know, I’m able to play faster and play smarter, honestly, and make plays on the ball.”

“Technique is different on every team, and the technique that they want to be done on certain plays and certain situations, and just getting to know your coaches better and what they want to be done,” Forbes said.

The Commanders drafted Forbes one spot ahead of Christian Gonzalez of the Patriots, a cornerback who made second-team All-Pro last season and is now considered one of the top players at his position in the league. There were concerns about Forbes’ rail thin body type, but ultimately when Washington changed the coaching staff and GM in the offseason, nobody was left in the organization who felt as though they had to vouch for him.

Washington’s Dan Quinn, who once helped develop the likes of corners such as Richard Sherman and Trevon Diggs, felt there was nothing he could do for Forbes and that there was no point in waiting until 2025 to make a change. Quinn told Forbes that “sometimes the change of scenery is good” for a player.

He had appeared in only 20 games with the Commanders prior to his release from the team six games into the 2024 season, and was claimed by the Rams.

Head coach Sean McVay praised Forbes’ demeanor in preparing for his second chance.

“I was really impressed with the way that he came in,” head coach Sean McVay said. “His willingness to be coached, his openness to maybe some different techniques. And that’s really tough to do in the middle of the year, especially given the background with Washington. I thought he came in with a great demeanor and disposition.”

“You’ve just seen the progression,” McVay said. “You see the ability. In some of the individual drills, the movements, the ability to get in and out of breaks and the length and the ball skills to be able to pick the ball off, those are big deals.”

Forbes is on a roster in which the biggest perceived need is at cornerback. The Commanders traded for Marshon Lattimore prior to releasing Forbes. Will the Rams trade for Jalen Ramsey and force him to hit waivers again, or could the team actually develop enough confidence in his progress to not have to make a move at all?