Vikings 2023 NFL draft prospect: Miss State CB Emmanuel Forbes
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This series will be your guide to the 2023 draft class. From scouting reports to mock drafts and exploring different scenarios, we will be covering the NFL draft and the future of the Minnesota Vikings from all angles.
The focus of the draft class in this space will be on the Vikings’ major needs at wide receiver, running back, cornerback and both interior and edge pass rusher.
The Vikings are slated to have four picks before compensatory selections are awarded and they need to make the most out of them.
Background
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Emmanuel Forbes
Mississippi State
Height-6’0″
Weight-180 lbs
Third-year junior
4-Star recruit per 247 Sports
Stats: 150 tackles, 94 solo, 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, 14 interceptions, 20 passes defended, 1 forced fumble
Games watched: Arkansas 2022, Georgia 2022, Kentucky 2022, Alabama 2022
Strengths
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
The first thing that stands out on tape is his tackling. Forbes does a great job knowing where to be in space. He fills gaps well and isn’t afraid to take on a runner in the hole.
A long strider with length in his upper body, Forbes isn’t the fastest players but has good recovery skills. His hips show enough flexion to exude the change of direction needed to stay in phase with receivers.
Ball skills are excellent with Forbes. His 14 interceptions show that, as well as his six interception returns for touchdowns. He tracks the ball well and has great recognition skills.
Forbes does his best playing off coverage and watching what goes on in front of him and recognizing everything in front of him.
Weaknesses
Scott Clause-USA TODAY Sports
The frame of Forbes is going to be a huge point of contention. His body is not too dissimilar to that of Cameron Dantzler with slender legs and weighing only 180 lbs. That has a big factor in his strength deficiencies.
His strength is also an issue when working through traffic. Forbes can get knocked off balance too easily and that can be an issue with more condensed space.
At the line of scrimmage, Forbes needs a lot of work. He misses with his punches and doesn’t have a lot of impact with them when he does land. He gets beat with quickness too easily.
In coverage, Forbes has a tendency to get grabby when he gets beat. That will get called in the NFL easily and he needs to get less clingy.
Overview
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Man | 7.7/10 |
Zone | 8.4/10 |
Hips/Fluidity | 7.9/10 |
Recognition | 13.4/15 |
Quickness | 8.1/10 |
Run Support | 8.7/10 |
Speed | 8.0/10 |
Recovery | 8.2/10 |
Tackling | 4.3/5 |
Ball Skills | 8.9/10 |
Grade | 83.6/100 Second Round |
The cornerback class is going to be really good and deep with a flavor for everyone. Forbes is going to go somewhere between 20 and 63 depending on how teams feel about his frame. He is so similar to Dantzler that might sway teams to let him slide. If Forbes runs a 40-yard dash in the 4.4’s, he likely ends up in the first round.
