Back in December, the Los Angeles Rams made a notable addition to their secondary when they claimed Emmanuel Forbes Jr. off waivers from the Washington Commanders. The young cornerback was waived by the Commanders before even finishing his second season in the NFL, which is notable because he was a first-round pick in 2023.
Sean McVay and Les Snead tempered everyone’s expectations for Forbes upon his arrival in Los Angeles, indicating that he’s mostly a depth piece with the possibility of becoming a contributor in 2025.
Forbes didn’t play a single defensive snap in any of his first four games with the Rams but on Sunday afternoon in the season finale, he made his debut. Forbes played 52 of a possible 55 snaps on defense against the Seattle Seahawks, giving fans their first look at the former 16th overall pick.
It was a tough first assignment for Forbes, going up against a receiver trio of DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tyler Lockett, but he did a nice job holding his own on the outside.
According to Pro Football Focus, Forbes allowed three catches on five targets, totaling 38 yards. One of those three receptions went for 22 yards on a deep dig to Metcalf where Forbes appeared to be in zone coverage. On the very next play, he was in coverage against Metcalf on a downfield ball toward the end zone and though Metcalf got a little bit of separation, the pass fell incomplete.
The two other receptions he allowed were to tight end A.J. Barner, which went for 6 yards and 10 yards, both converting for first downs. So in terms of coverage against opposing receivers, Forbes only allowed one catch on three targets, all against Metcalf.
As slender as he is – he’s listed at 6 feet, 180 pounds – Forbes looked like a willing tackler on Sunday. He didn’t shy away from contact and though he did miss one tackle, he wasn’t afraid to stick his nose in and make a stop.
He finished the game with five tackles, which were tied for the second-most on the team behind only linebacker Jake Hummel.
Forbes probably won’t get any playing time in the postseason but as the Rams look ahead to 2025, he’s someone who could be in their plans at cornerback. Sunday was a good debut against a high-caliber offense, especially given the talent Seattle has at wide receiver.