Washington Commanders rookie cornerback Emmanuel Forbes didn’t hesitate when asked about the one receiver he’s looking forward to locking down the most in the NFL. The 16th overall pick in this year’s draft has been saving receipts for Philadelphia Eagles star DeVonta Smith.
Forbes, who was the second cornerback off the board, still remembers Smith putting up 250 yards on him when they matched up in college. (For the record, Smith made 11 catches for 203 yards, with 4 touchdowns). Alabama beat Mississippi State 41-0 in that one. Forbes may have mistaken the final numbers from that fateful day, but there was no debating the winner. Smith ate him up. Now Forbes will get two chances at revenge when the Eagles and Commanders meet up in two NFC East showdowns in 2023.
He want smoke with Devonta Smith for putting 250 on him 😂😂 #Eagles
The Eagles had Forbes high on their radar heading into the 2023 draft, too. The 6-foot-1, 166-pounder ran the 40-yard dash in a blistering 4.35 seconds, which tied for the third-fastest time among cornerbacks, along with a 37.5-inch vertical. He intercepted 14 passes in 36 games at Mississippi State while returning them for 390 yards and six touchdowns. Forbes was nicknamed the “Splendid Splinter” by ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. due to his skinny frame.
Easy to be excited about the INTs and Pick 6s with Emmanuel Forbes, but how about 5 TFLs and a sack as a sophomore. In the SEC. At 165. Not scared.
“The game is all about the ball, right? There isn’t another cornerback that takes the ball away like I can. That’s been proven,” Forbes told Draft Network a few days prior to the draft. “You can draft a cornerback that created 14 turnovers in three years of college football. I had six pick-sixes. Nobody changes the game like I can.”
Eagles Draft Georgia CB Kelee Ringo
The Eagles eventually drafted a cornerback but they waited until the fourth round. Georgia (go figure?) stud Kelee Ringo dropped to them at No. 105 after concerns regarding his work ethic and medical history popped up. General manager Howie Roseman acknowledged the reports but dismissed them as nothing to worry about it. The organization did extensive homework on Ringo and loved what they researched.
“Ringo was a guy that stuck out on our board. He had a really high grade,” Roseman told reporters. “He was a guy that we were considering at those picks when we picked in the third round. We know there were reports. We watched the draft there in our draft room. We don’t have a question about his work ethic. We don’t have a question about his medical.”
Ringing for Ringo
Eagles-Giants Rumored to Get Black Friday Game
NBC Sports’ Peter King believes the Eagles will be playing in the league’s first-ever Black Friday game on November 24 at 3 p.m. He didn’t cite any sources or inside information. The idea of showcasing an old-school NFC East showdown just seems to make sense.
King wrote: “The first game ever on Friday afternoon after Thanksgiving is a very big deal for Amazon on the biggest shopping day of the year. I think the leader in the clubhouse for that game is Eagles-Giants. Absolutely not set in stone, though.”
Will the Eagles-Giants game happen? We’ll find out on Thursday, May 11 when the NFL releases its 2023 schedule. If so, the game will stream exclusively on Prime Video.
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Commanders Top Rookie Calls Out Eagles Star DeVonta Smith