Emmanuel Forbes is such a fun prospect because of his field intelligence – he’s a master of  positioning in coverage. Not only is he a ball hawk and someone who can create turnover opportunities, he’s a willing and effective tackler. The only real concern that I can find with Forbes is the fact that he’s only 166 pounds. If teams can overlook that and be comfortable with his play style, which he plays bigger than he is, he has a solid chance to be an early pick and a very good cornerback in the NFL.

There is some upside to his game, just because he can add to his frame and overall build up his strength. Forbes says his play weight was 173, but he measured in at 166 at the Combine which was a concerning number. Ideally, 180 pounds would be good for Forbes to sit at. 

I’m a big fan of what Emmanuel Forbes can do, especially his insane ball skills
But man 166 pounds is going to be tough to buy into for a GM pic.twitter.com/TAi5dy3Jp3

— Jacob Lintner (@lintnermedia) April 4, 2023

Dealt with a bit of a hamstring during the 2023 offseason. Didn’t miss a game his entire SEC career to injury. 

Emmanuel Forbes’ scouting report

Athletic Ability (40)

Speed/Athleticism: 20

• Speed (9.5/10) – Very solid speed. Runs so fast that it often looks like he’s jogging to stay in the hop pocket of a receiver. 
• Lateral Quickness (3.5/5) – Lateral quickness is good, not great. 
• Acceleration (4.5/5) – Very good acceleration. Has several levels of burst. 

Strength: 15 

• Upper Body Strength (4/5) – Excellent upper body strength for the position. Has a ton of room to add to his frame. 
• Lower Body Strength (3.5/5) – Shows good lower body strength but has a ton of room to add to his frame. 
• Brute Power (2/5) – Not a brute at all because of his lack of size but he’s physical enough. 

Hip Flexibility: 15

• Change of Direction (9/10) – Smooth change of direction ability. Very reactive as well. Excellent athlete overall. 
• Recovery (4.5/5) – Recovery looks great. Does an excellent job getting back into position and using his burst to not lose the rep. 

Defender Ability (15)

Tackling: 10 

• Tackling Ability (4.5/6) – Very strong wrap up tackler. Very willing run defender on the perimeter. Doesn’t consistently wrap up. 
• Space Defending (3/4) – Good space defender. Sometimes not as reactive working off of man coverage to chase the football. 

Pursuit: 5

• Pursuit Angles (4/5) – Takes good pursuit angles to the football. Solid pursuit defender. 

Coverage Ability (30)

Man Coverage: 10

• Coverage Ability (6/7) – Solid man coverage prospect. Plays very well, has the speed to stay with almost any receiver. Positions himself well to defend against just about any route. Natural cornerback.
• Physicality (2/3) – Usually, he is physical enough to disrupt the route without drawing the penalty. Sometimes did get too physical and drew some flags. 

Zone Coverage: 15 

• Coverage Ability (5.5/7) – Reacts very well in zone coverage. Positions himself well too, no matter the assignment. Absolute ball hawk, has 14 career interceptions in 3 years. 
• Recognition (3/3) – Great play recognition ability. Rarely found out of position and flied to the football. Ball hawk. 

Press Coverage: 10 

• Coverage Ability (5/7) – Shows good press ability. Doesn’t typically go into a jam technique but does a good job mirroring the receiver and staying close in position. 
• Physicality (2/3) – Typically isn’t physical in press coverage. 

Overall: (86.5) – 1st Round