Tag: 2023 NFL draft

Emmanuel Forbes acknowledges benching shook his confidence

Forbes discusses his benching and who talked to him afterward. He also doesn’t like bacon.

This hasn’t been the rookie season Washington Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes envisioned. The No. 16 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft was the second cornerback selected in the draft, and some predicted Forbes could be a contender for defensive rookie of the year.

Instead, Forbes has struggled on the field, been benched and most recently, dealt with an injury.

Forbes’ struggles began in Washington’s Week 4 loss to the Eagles. Philadelphia wide receiver A.J. Brown wore out Forbes, beating him for over 100 yards and multiple touchdowns. For some reason, then-Washington defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio kept Forbes locked in single coverage with Brown, one of the NFL’s best wide receivers.

Forbes struggled the following week, too, matched up with D.J. Moore of the Chicago Bears. Then, Washington’s coaches benched him. He played only 24 snaps against the Bears in a 40-20 loss and didn’t play the following week against the Falcons.

In the Commanders’ next two games, against the Giants and Eagles, Forbes played five defensive snaps in each game.

In a conversation with WUSA 9 sports anchor Chick Hernandez, Forbes acknowledged the benching shook him.

“I was really just upset, and just like, it was something new to me; I didn’t know how to feel, honestly,” Forbes said.

“I’ve never been benched before. But it was like a learning experience. Luckily, I talked to my guy, [Eagles cornerback] Darius Slay, and he’s been benched before and he said to just keep my head up and keep coming to work………I would say my confidence, I’m always very confident in what I do. I would say when I got benched, it shook a little bit because I’d never been benched before, and I was in my head a lot, so I had to get past that.”

The Commanders inserted Forbes back into the starting lineup in a Week 9 win over the New England Patriots, where he played his best game of the season.

“The next game I started was New England, and I had an excellent game,” Forbes said.

One knock on Forbes in the draft was his weight. During the pre-draft process, Forbes weighed in as low as 166 pounds. His playing weight is more than that, but it’s never been an issue as far as being injured.

Hernandez asked Forbes about gaining weight.

“I’ve tried to do countless things, but I’m not a bodybuilder,” Forbes said while laughing. “I just got to accept it and be the best I can.”

He injured his elbow in Week 11 and missed Washington’s next two games. Obviously, his weight had nothing to do with that injury.

Forbes returned last week against the Rams and, for some reason, played only six snaps. Head coach Ron Rivera cited matchups as the reason.

Hernandez ended the interview by talking about food. Forbes said he’s a big steak and loaded baked potato guy. But, he doesn’t like bacon — or donuts.

Wait, what?

The Commanders are back in action on Sunday against the New York Jets. Regardless of what Rivera thinks or believes, Forbes should be on the field for 100% of Washington’s defensive snaps over the final three games.

 

Saints make 4 last-minute roster moves, put rookie draft pick on injured reserve

The Saints made four last-minute roster moves before kickoff with the Panthers, putting a rookie draft pick on injured reserve:

The New Orleans Saints reported four last-minute roster moves on the daily NFL transactions wire before Sunday’s kickoff with the Carolina Panthers, most notably putting rookie draft pick Nick Saldiveri on injured reserve.

Here’s what you need to know about each of these latest transactions:

Lions rookie DB Brian Branch says Commanders told him they were picking him at No. 16

Brian Branch visited with the Commanders ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

In the lead-up to the 2023 NFL draft, Washington Commanders were focused on two positions: Offensive tackle and cornerback. At No. 16 overall, the Commanders selected former Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes.

Forbes was the second cornerback taken in what was considered a deep draft at the position. The Commanders surprised many by choosing Forbes over Christian Gonzalez, who went one pick later to the New England Patriots.

Another defensive back often linked to Washington throughout the pre-draft process was Alabama defensive back Brian Branch. Branch was a three-year starter for the Crimson Tide and played more of a hybrid role rather than a true cornerback.

Branch ended up landing with the Detroit Lions at No. 45 overall. Two picks later, the Commanders selected former Illinois defensive back Quan Martin.

On Tuesday, Branch was a guest on an NFL Network Space on X — formerly known as Twitter — and said Washington told him he would be the pick at 16th overall.

“The team I for sure that thought that was going to get me was the Commanders at No. 16,” Branch said when asked which team he felt confident would take him in April’s draft.

“I felt like, you know, they told me that if I’m still available at 16, they were going to get me. But, I guess you can never take their word, somebody’s word. You gotta let it play out. Everything happens for a reason. I’m glad I’m with Detroit.”

The jury will remain out on all rookies, but Forbes has had a tough start to his NFL career. He struggled early in the season and was benched. He returned in Week 9 and had his best NFL game. He was injured in Week 11 and has missed the last two games.

As for Branch, he’s one of Detroit’s starting safeties, and he’s played in 10 games with seven starts. He’s recorded 58 tackles, including seven for loss, with two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown in his first NFL game.

There was never a question about Branch as a player. What Washington needed the most was a starting cornerback, so one of Forbes, Gonzalez, or Deonte Banks made the most sense. If Branch had been available at No. 47, it’s likely he would’ve ended up in Washington.

You can listen to the entire space here.

Grading every Patriots rookie up to this point

Who have been the hits and misses in the Patriots’ 2023 NFL draft class?

There’s still meat left on the bone of the 2023 regular season for the New England Patriots’ draft class, but it’s never too early to step back and review what the group has done so far.

It’s always tricky handing out grades to rookies considering they’re still works in progress. These grades are for pure entertainment and evaluation purposes. They in no way, shape or form limit the future success for these players.

We’re basing it strictly off the games that have been played up to this point in the season. Here are the grades so far for the Patriots’ 2023 NFL rookie draft class:

Second-round selections of Levi Onwuzurike and Josh Paschal not paying off for the Lions

Detroit’s recent second-round selections of Levi Onwuzurike and Josh Paschal are not paying off for the Lions

As of right now, it’s safe to say that Brad Holmes and the Lions are batting .500 with their second round selections from their last three drafts. Certainly, it’s not expected of any regime in the NFL to get every pick right. That said, the Lions rolled the dice on two defensive lineman in consecutive drafts in the second round and currently, it’s not paying off for Detroit.

When Holmes and Campbell took over, they needed to rebuild this roster inside and out. They had to start in the trenches and for their defense, the first player they took was Levi Onwuzurike.

When looking back at Onwuzurike, he was an explosive pass-rusher out of Washington. Some viewed him as a borderline first-round talent, and he was a player who had a good week at the 2021 Senior Bowl. The downside to him as a prospect was that he was undersized at 6’2″ and 290 pounds. That brought up questions to what position best suits him along the defensive line.

Additionally, Onwuzurike opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That did bring up additional questions of what type of player he would be with a year-long gap of no football being played. However, the Lions looked past those questions and took a player that seemed like a potential spark-plug to a defensive line that desperately needed it. During his rookie season in 2021, he did play almost 400 defensive snaps and recorded 35 tackles, two pressures and one sack. I’d say that was a promising start to his career.

Unfortunately, he suffered a back injury in 2022 and he’s not been the same player. While he’s made a return to the football field, Onwuzurike has only played 73 defensive snaps this season. It’s only led to three total tackles and has resulted in no pressures for him. When watching the tape, he lacks the explosiveness he once had and is consistently getting beat by the opposition due to his lack of length, explosiveness and power.

Could something click so he figures it out down the stretch this season? It’s possible but don’t be surprised if the Lions decide to move on as they desperately need help on defense. It’s a tough pill to swallow but that is part of the business. I don’t think Brad Holmes made the wrong decision in drafting Onwuzurike. He had to pull the trigger on getting help up front. However, when looking back at the 2021 NFL Draft, you can’t help but wonder what this defense would look like had they taken a player such as Asante Samuel Jr, Azeez Ojulari or Nick Bolton.

Moving onto the 2022 NFL Draft, the Lions made the correct decision in drafting Aidan Hutchinson. Regardless of the current results, he’s the heartbeat of their defense. The biggest question from this regime was when they double downed at the defensive end position and drafted Josh Paschal in the second round of that draft. This is after taking Hutch the day before and the year before, they selected Levi Onwuzurike.

During the 2022 NFL Draft, the Lions could have selected Alontae Taylor, Jaquan Brisker or Cam Taylor-Britt with their second round pick. However, they selected Paschal with the 46th overall pick.

Adding depth to the defensive line is common in the NFL but as a whole, the defense needed help in other areas. At the time, their cornerback depth was Jerry Jacobs, Amani Oruwariye, Bobby Price, Jeff Okudah and Bobby Price.

They didn’t have the luxury of doubling down at defensive end. Especially when their depth chart up front already had players such as Julian Okwara, Romeo Okwara and Charles Harris. Meanwhile, their secondary had the names listed above on the depth chart.

Since drafting Paschal, the Lions have gotten 443 defensive snaps out of him (per Pro Football Reference). This has resulted in 31 total tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks in his career. Looking at this season, he’s only played 150 snaps this season and it’s resulted in one total pressure.

Sure, he’s been hampered by a knee injury and it’s caused him to spend time on injured reserve. However, when a player is a top-50 pick in the NFL Draft, there’s an expectation placed on that player. Regardless of the position. For Paschal and Onwuzurike, they should be expected to perform at a high level for this Lions defense. After all, the Lions are 8-3 and appear to be the best team we’ve seen Detroit have in decades.

Adding talent to the Lions secondary with early draft selections could have been just as useful. Instead, the Lions went for having an impactful pass rush. Outside of Hutchinson, the Lions pass rush has been underwhelming this season. As we’ve seen in recent weeks, it’s a big part to why their defense is turning into one of the worst units in football.

It’s a win-now league and oddly enough, this is a win-now team. These two selections have not helped this team right now. Neither of them are contributing enough or at all to further justify their status on this team. There’s potential for both players to figure it out in Detroit. In fact, I hope they do. The unfortunate part is that right now, neither player is living up to the expectations.

 

 

Commanders 2024 draft position continues to climb

Washington’s draft position has changed dramatically in recent weeks.

Just a couple of months ago, Commanders fans never dreamed the 2024 NFL draft could be so hopeful.

On Sept. 17, the Commanders had started the season 2-0, defeating the Cardinals and then the Broncos on the road. Sam Howell against the Broncos had enjoyed much success throwing deep, and it looked like the Commanders were on their way to seeing Ron Rivera’s first winning season in Washington. Howell had recorded a passer rating of 108.8 in only his second game under Eric Bieniemy, the new Washington offensive coordinator.

Had Washington found their quarterback for the future?

On Oct. 17, the Commanders had lost three consecutive games, falling to the Bills, Eagles and Bears. But then, on the road in Atlanta, it was again Howell who led the team to a 24-16 solid win. Howell had, this time, accomplished a career-best passer rating of 119.7.

The former UNC quarterback was turning the corner, and at 3-3, Washington was sitting in the 15th draft position. More importantly, Commanders fans were talking about the playoffs and not draft position.

On Nov. 23, the Commanders had just been embarrassed on Thanksgiving Day with a 45-10 drubbing by the Cowboys. In the preceding five-week period, there had been two frustrating losses to the N.Y. Giants, a close loss to the Eagles, a close road win at New England and a walk-off field goal loss to the Seahawks in Seattle.

The Commanders, in the last month have moved up the draft order to now a hard-to-believe 7th place position.

Howell has struggled in the recent losses, with passer ratings of 60.5 and 62.8 in the games against the Giants. Yes, he recorded a 109.3 at Seattle but then turned around with a disappointing 74.1 in the loss at Dallas.

Currently sitting at 7th in the draft order, one has to wonder, has the free fall of the Commanders meant Washington would draft a quarterback at 7?

As it stands today, the consensus is Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Marvin Harrison are the top three picks in no certain order.

With the remaining schedule including Miami, San Francisco and Dallas again, there is no easy game on the schedule. Will the Commanders continue to lose? How much will they continue to climb the draft order?

If Howell plays well during the final five games, but the Commanders lose, it may ensure they can get a top offensive tackle to begin their 2024 draft.

Trent Williams was drafted fourth in 2010 and Brandon Scherff fifth in 2015.

Just sayin’.

 

Giants rookie Deonte Banks calls out Commanders for passing on him in draft

Deonte Banks had some things to say about the Commanders for passing on him in the draft.

Apparently, Deonte Banks wanted to play for the Washington Commanders.

The New York Giants rookie cornerback, who was selected No. 24 overall in the 2023 NFL draft, was in a celebratory mood after New York’s 31-19 win over the Commanders Sunday. It meant the Giants swept the Commanders, improving them to 3-8 on the season.

Banks, a Baltimore, Md. native, played collegiately for the Maryland Terrapins. However, Washington, needing a cornerback, instead chose Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. at No. 16 overall.

Banks met with the Commanders, among other teams, in the pre-draft process.

After Sunday’s game, Banks went on an NSFW tirade directed at the Commanders.

“They could’ve came and got me at 16, and they didn’t,” Banks said. “Now I’m 2-0 against you bum-ass boys. F–k the Commanders. They think they slick. They finna see me two times a year until the end of my career. Two times a year. Should’ve came and got me.”

WARNING: The video below contains explicit language:

Banks even threw shade at Terry McLaurin, who had five catches for 43 yards. Apparently, the new theme for cornerbacks is talking trash about McLaurin when doesn’t have huge games, as the offense is clearly designed to spread the ball around more.

“Did 17 play today? That’s all I want to know,” Banks said.

In McLaurin’s first meeting with the Giants four weeks ago, he had six receptions for 90 yards.

To answer Banks’ question, yes, McLaurin did play. So did Jahan Dotson.

Need proof?

Curiously, Banks didn’t mention Dotson in his rant.

As for Forbes and Banks, both have had their moments this season, with more downs than ups.

Pro Football Focus gives Forbes a higher grade than Banks. But both are below 50. So, it’s not like either is lighting it up, but playing cornerback in the NFL, particularly as a rookie, is a tough job.

Ranking the Colts’ rookies coming out of bye week

Taking a look at the the best rookies for the Colts thus far in 2023.

The Indianapolis Colts are 10 games into the 2023 season. At their bye in Week 11, the team stands right in the thick of the playoff hunt with a 5-5 record.

There have been many ups and downs so far and the rookie class has played a big contribution to the position the team finds itself in.

Here, we’re ranking the rookies that have had the biggest impact through the first 10 games of the season:

Rookie report card: Grading the Saints 2023 draft class at midseason

Rookie report card: How do you grade the New Orleans Saints 2023 draft class at midseason? Have Bryan Bresee and his peers met expectations?

So much hype is built up for the annual NFL draft class, but it isn’t always fair to put such high expectations on rookie players. In many cases there are well-established veteran players in place ahead of them who they need to outwork for snaps in practice, much less in games. And that’s before other inhibiting factors like injuries and suspensions get in the way of their development.

Keep that in mind as we go through our New Orleans Saints rookie report card. The Saints’ 2024 draft class hasn’t had many opportunities to distinguish itself going up to the Week 11 bye, and the seven remaining games in the regular season are going to be critical for many of them. Here’s how we grade each first-year pro’s performance at midseason:

Longtime Houston beat writer believes Texans preferred Bryce Young over C.J. Stroud

Former Houston Chronicle beat writer John McClain thinks the Texans would’ve selected Bryce Young if they had the No. 1 pick of 2023 NFL draft.

How much differently would the 2023 NFL draft have begun if it were the Houston Texans, not the Carolina Panthers, who moved up to the first overall position? In the opinion of one of the best reporters to ever do it, the top pick would have been the same.

John McClain, a 47-year veteran of the Houston Chronicle and a Pro Football Hall of Fame scribe, joined Steve Wyche and James Palmer for Monday’s episode of The NFL Report. When speaking about the meteoric rise of rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, the retired Texans beat writer had an interesting take.

“I think—and they’ll never admit this—if they had the No. 1 pick, [the Texans] would’ve taken Bryce Young, even though there were a lot of people out there who had Stroud rated over Bryce Young,” McClain said. “And they didn’t hesitate to take [Stroud] second overall. They never paid any attention to the S2 Cognition Test; they don’t subscribe to it. They only went by what they saw, and DeMeco [Ryans] played a big role in it.”

Luckily for Houston, those reported results from the S2 Cognition Test haven’t had any weight on Stroud’s sensational start. The No. 2 pick has firmly entrenched himself in the Most Valuable Player conversation, as he’s passed for a league-leading 291.8 yards per game, 15 touchdowns and just two interceptions while leading the Texans to a 5-4 mark.

The season, however, hasn’t been nearly as smooth for the team that did take Young atop the draft. The Panthers sit at an NFL-worst 1-8 record while the top selection has averaged 195.0 passing yards per contest with eight scores and seven picks.

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