Emmanuel Forbes CB Miss. St.: Scouting Report

Height: 6’1

Weight: 166

Overall

Emmanuel Forbes is a long, athletic corner in Mississippi State’s zone heavy defense. In his 3 seasons with the Bulldogs he played in 36 games, starting 34 of them. He is an excellent athlete with the speed and length to match up with any receiver on the outside as well in the slot.

Pass Game

In both man and zone coverage, Forbes would often line up in press and he did a good job of getting his hands on the receiver early to disrupt the route. In man coverage he shows very good footwork off the line to mirror his man and  has the fluidity to flip his hips and turn up field on deep routes. He makes very good breaks on the ball and has excellent ball skills. His length allows to stay on top of receivers and he can high point the ball with his long reach. In zone coverage, Forbes shows excellent vision and instincts to be aware of his surrounding receivers and break on any ball that comes his way. He has elite long speed allowing him to cover a lot of ground in cover 3 and can quickly accelerate to the ball when playing the flats in cover 2.

Run Game

Against the run, Forbes shows excellent effort and urgency to the ball. He is elusive around blocks and uses his speed to quickly get to the ball-carrier and tackle them with violence. His lack of weight may make it difficult for him to be a consistent tackler against NFL sized backs but he has the attitude and physicality to be a playmaker in the run game.

Last Word

Forbes projects best as a number 2 outside corner who can also match up in the slot if needed. He excels in zone coverage with his ability to cover ground with his speed and make plays with his excellent ball skills. He needs to put more size on his frame to be better suited against physical receivers in man coverage, but his technique is there. His length and athleticism should allow him to excel on special teams early in his career as well.

One-Liner: Emmanuel Forbes is a long, yet thin corner who has the technique and ball skills to be an excellent outside corner in a zone-heavy defense.

Grade: 6.8 (Solid Starter on All 3 Downs)

Games Watched: 2022 - Alabama, Arizona; 2021 - Kentucky

Team Fits: Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars