Emmanuel Forbes NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Mississippi State CB

HEIGHT: 6'1"

WEIGHT: 166

HAND: 8 1/2"

ARM: 32 1/4"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.35

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: TBD

VERTICAL: 37.5"

BROAD: 10'11"

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POSITIVES

— Boasts great length for the position. Uses his long arms well in coverage and when playing the ball.

— Outstanding long speed. Long strides easily cover ground. Effortlessly able to carry receivers deep.

— Plays with good timing to swipe through the catch point and dislodge balls. Very good hand/eye reaction. Opportunistic player who has strong hands and good ball skills. Plucks balls out of the sky.

— Triggers quickly to run and screen game. Uses length to control receivers and shows flexibility to dip and rip past blockers.

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NEGATIVES

— Undersized, thin frame that lacks ideal strength. Can be pushed around on the edge.

— Tackling is a question. Often drops head and dives at the ball-carrier's legs.

—Below-average weight distribution. Too often has feet and balance outside of his frame, causing him to be slow dropping his hips to redirect.

— Too aggressive in zone at times. Allows receivers to get on top of him.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 46 TOT, 1 TFL, 6 INT, 10 PD

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NOTES

— DOB: 1/13/2001

— 34 career starts

— 2020 Freshman All-SEC

— 2022 second-team All-America (AP)

— FBS active career leader in pick-6s (6)

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OVERALL

Emmanuel Forbes is a long, lean cornerback with excellent speed and ball skills. He's an opportunistic player who puts himself in the right position to capitalize on over throws and dropped passes.

Although Forbes is very undersized in terms of his weight, he has room to add to his frame. At the combine, he was able to show his explosiveness by running a 4.35-second 40-yard dash and jumping 10'11" in the broad jump.

During his career at Mississippi State, Forbes put his full range of ball skills on display. He is an opportunistic player who puts himself in the right position to make plays on tips and errant throws. He reads the quarterback and attacks the ball in the air by catching the ball with his hands, away from his body.

When he isn't able to make a play on the ball, Forbes does a great job of showing the timing necessary to punch and rip through the catch point. Though he has the speed to carry receivers deep, he often struggles to sink his hips and cleanly get out of breaks. While in zone, he often looks to gamble on throws, pulling him out of his apex point.

Though Forbes is undersized weight-wise, he is a willing tackler in the run game. As he triggers quickly to both the run and screen game, there are times where he can struggle defeating blocks. He does a good job of taking on blockers with his length and occasionally uses his quickness to beat blocks, but he's often overpowered by strength on the edge.

When tackling, Forbes looks to be more comfortable when filling a running lane than when he is asked to tackle in the open field. A wrap-down tackler, he often drops his head and dives at the legs of ball-carriers when in the open field.

Forbes had consistent ball production throughout his career and has the speed and length to continue it in the NFL. The big questions are how he'll handle the run game when asked to tackle bigger running backs and how he matches up against bigger, more physical receivers.

Forbes has the frame to add weight, but he'll need to quickly do so within the first couple years of his career. He is a potential role player who has the ability to become a starter down the road.

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GRADE: 6.8 (Potential Role Player/Round 4)

OVERALL RANK: 103

POSITION RANK: CB14

PRO COMPARISON: Jalyn Armour-Davis

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings