ASHBURN, Va. — Here’s the skinny on the first time Emmanuel Forbes played against fellow thin man DeVonta Smith.
“He beat us pretty bad that game,” Forbes recalled.
Alabama’s frightening 41-0 romp on Halloween 2020 was led by its 6-foot, 175-pound receiver who dominated Mississippi State’s secondary with 203 yards and four touchdowns on 11 receptions. The defensive unit included a certain 6-foot-1, 165-pound freshman cornerback.
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Those plumb statistics thrust Smith into Heisman Trophy contention. Later that senior year, he would win college football’s biggest individual honor and be selected 10th by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2021 NFL Draft. Forbes had a front-row seat for Smith’s domination and national ascension. He specifically recalled Smith running a red zone slant on him for a touchdown.
“He looked at me and pointed at me,” Forbes said this week. “I remember that.”
Forbes, the Washington Commanders’ first-round selection in this past April’s draft, is ready for the rematch Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field against Smith’s Eagles.
“I always keep receipts of guys that maybe got the best of me in college or whenever,” said Forbes, seated in front of his locker following Wednesday’s practice. “It’s going to be a good challenge this weekend. I’m looking forward to it.”
Forbes spoke with the competitive confidence required to play such an exposed position. His comments also included ample respect for his fellow pre-draft measurables outlier who overcame the stigma of being undersized to thrive among NFL behemoths. Smith, now a dynamic threat on the pro level, has 2,318 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns on 174 receptions in 37 games.
“There’s no such thing about a certain weight at any position,” Forbes said. “If you can play ball, you can play ball. He’s a really good football player, and that’s why he got drafted where he did and started making plays in the NFL.”
Yet, many teams held a contrarian view for years. Some still say fat chance.
“Size matters. If it didn’t, they wouldn’t be doing all these measurements and all these tests,” said Dane Brugler, The Athletic’s lead draft analyst. “Teams have certain thresholds for what they want, especially at certain positions.”
Forbes faced those outlier questions ahead of the draft. Yes, the corner with a desired 79-inch wingspan ran a 4.35 40-yard dash time at the combine after setting an FBS record by returning six of his 14 career interceptions for touchdowns. It’s also true that some teams still debated if they could justify spending a high pick on a taller corner who weighed 166 pounds at the combine. That made Forbes the second-lightest prospect, standing at least 6 feet, to participate at the annual pre-draft scouting event since at least 2000, and the lightest defensive back by 9 pounds.
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“We’ve just never seen a corner (with his height and weight),” Brugler said. “A tough part for an evaluator is figuring out when to overlook the outlier (data) and just focus on the talent. For some teams, the philosophy is we’re not going to draft an outlier in the first round.”
What Forbes, Smith and undersized quarterbacks like Kyler Murray and Bryce Young, both recent No. 1 draft picks, represent to Brugler is a willingness for teams to move their size goal posts.
“At quarterback, we’ve seen a lot of barriers get broken down,” Brugler said. “But we’re also seeing it in other positions.”
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Smith, who’s posted a stat line of 15-206-2 on the young season, lacks size yet is “tougher than a lot of other receivers in the league with the way he blocks and, when the ball is up in the air, he goes and gets it,” Brugler said.
That Forbes failed to put on bulk at Mississippi State sent scouts into detective mode. Does he not like to work out or want to develop his body? Is he working with a body frame that he maximized early in his football career and a body that won’t retain mass?
“I think a lot of teams concluded that that’s his body type,” Brugler said, “and you have to be comfortable with it.”
Washington was a little more comfortable with it than some. The Commanders weren’t the only team interested in selecting the cornerback Brugler praised for, among other traits, “outstanding spatial awareness in off-man and zone coverages … instinctive route recognition at all levels.”
While some teams with first-round choices in the 20s eyed Forbes, including Baltimore, Washington made the matter moot by using the 16th overall selection to aid a defense that finished 26th with 18 takeaways last season.
“He’s a difference-maker. He is a game-changer,” general manager Martin Mayhew said shortly after Washington snagged Forbes. “I think people throw around the term ball hawk pretty loosely. This guy really is that.”
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That ball hawk hype became tangible throughout spring and summer practices and continued into the regular season. Forbes is second on the team with three pass breakups and snatched his first interception in Washington’s Week 2 win at Denver.
“I like the way he’s started and responded,” defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio said Thursday. “I thought (Week 3 against Buffalo) was clearly a step forward.”
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There’s also no denying that Forbes is exceedingly slim, even if Washington, which fell to 2-1 with its 37-3 disaster against the Bills, now lists him at 173 pounds. That’s why teams’ medical staffs study beyond those standard measurables and training norms like the 40-yard dash and bench press.
“I don’t think people realize the different, non-public numbers that come out of the combine when it comes to size,” Brugler said. “Bone density, frame. They measure groin and hamstring flexibility. They measure the front shoulder and back shoulder. Wrist size is a big one. They measure the knees.”
Smith’s smaller dimensions, while notable, are not unfamiliar to the NFL landscape. Brugler said receivers like former Washington player DeSean Jackson “thrive on getting vertical and just using that speed” to escape collisions. Defenders must run toward the traffic and prepare to take on and bring down receivers, backs and tight ends.
That creates the durability question. Forbes played at least 11 games in each of his three seasons at Mississippi State while displaying a willingness to compete in the “run game and coverage,” Brugler said. That’s continued with Washington, though he’s part of a four-way tie for second on the team with three missed tackles, per Pro Football Focus.
“You have to think outside the box on some of these players because they’re just so talented,” Brugler said. “Just because a player is an outlier in certain metrics, you don’t just cross the player off their list. You have to put in the context.”
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Commanders coach Ron Rivera shared some of his Forbes context following the outside corner’s initial three games.
“He’s got a tremendous skill set. He’s got great quicks, he’s got a great plant (foot) and drive,” Rivera said. “Sometimes his footwork, his body positions, he can be better at it. … He’s such a young player. I think it’s about him refining the technique that he’s going to use and he’s going to play with.”
For Del Rio, Forbes’ length and instincts are already assets. Additional growth is a matter of time.
“He’s gaining experience each and every week,” Del Rio said. “Come out and compete. That’s what I want to see. … I don’t want to see anything different from him than I want to see from all our guys. Dig into the game plan and really understand your opponent. Make sure that you’re playing fast to your responsibilities and go out and have fun. Let it rip.”
Falling for double moves or being overly aggressive in spots is typical for rookie corners. Forbes has had some wayward plays, but “the way he’s battled, the confidence that he plays with, the way he’ll drive on the football,” Brugler said, “I think fans should feel encouraged with what they see performed after three games.
“When it comes to creating turnovers, getting his hands on the football, that’s his calling card. So far, we’ve seen it show on Sundays.”
Forbes gave himself a thumbs up for the college-to-pro transition.
“It’s going good. I’ve adjusted well. I’m ready to go out there and keep making plays,” he said. “The only different thing is the quarterbacks. The speed of the game is similar, but the quarterbacks are way, way better. They know how to put the ball where the DB can’t get it.”
Forbes should expect some targets coming his way at Philadelphia (3-0) from quarterback Jalen Hurts to receivers A.J. Brown and Smith, who dazzled in two games against Washington last season with 14 receptions for 208 yards and two touchdowns. Smith is a challenge and a measuring stick for that former Mississippi State freshman with a long memory. He hopes to help Washington recover from last week’s debacle.
Their matchup as dueling first-round picks will be a fat win for the little guys, regardless.
(Top photos: Michael Owens / Getty Images)
