Getty New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson.
It might feel like kicking someone when they’re down at this point, but the kid in the stands at the joint practice between the Washington Commanders and New York Jets on Aug. 8 could have cared less.
In a viral video posted by NFL reporter Dov Kleiman on X, a child filming a play during the practice focuses his camera on a matchup between Jets star wide receiver Garrett Wilson and Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes.
“Garrett! I know you’re gonna cook Emmanuel Forbes!” the child yells before the play starts.
Wilson then proceeds to beat Forbes downfield on a 41-yard touchdown reception, coming wide open at the goal line.
Wilson was a first-round pick (No. 10 overall) in the 2022 NFL draft out of Ohio State and was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2022. Wilson has over 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons.
A young fan predicted that #Jets WR Garrett Wilson was about to “cook” #Commanders Emmanuel Forbes and watch what happens next 😳
Forbes Under Pressure to Perform in Year 2
Forbes was a first-round pick by the Commanders (No. 16 overall) in 2023 and performed so poorly in his rookie year that his NFL future might be on the line in his second season — he was listed as the backup to Benjamin St.-Juste on the Commanders’ first official depth chart released on Aug. 6.
PFF’s Sam Monson put Forbes on his list of players under pressure to perform in their second season after his rookie struggles.
“The NFL has been far more ready in recent years to push the boundaries of size thresholds, and so it was last year when the Washington Commanders drafted Emmanuel Forbes at No. 16 overall despite his weighing just 166 pounds at the NFL Combine,” Monson wrote. “In Week 4, Forbes spent much of his time against Philadelphia trying to cover A.J. Brown, who weighs 226 pounds — some 60 pounds heavier than Forbes’ NFL Combine measurement. That went about as well as you would expect (10 targets, six catches, 147 yards and two touchdowns just to that matchup), and Forbes was eventually benched later in the year.”
Forbes played in 14 games with 6 starts in 2023 and was benched twice. He graded out at 50.9 percent overall and an anemic 28.4 percent against the run.
Writing Might Already Be on the Wall for Forbes
The Commanders might already have a plan in place if Forbes proves to be an out-and-out bust in his second season, drafting Michigan cornerback Mike Sainristil in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft. They also signed undrafted free agent cornerback Chigoze Anusiem to the biggest UDFA contract in the NFL.
Sainristil is already listed at the top of the depth chart as the Commanders’ nickel back and presumably would be the first cornerback off the bench behind starters St.-Juste and Michael Davis.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine singled out Anusiem as the one undrafted player he thinks could crack the 53-man roster to start the season.
“It’s not hard to see why Anusiem was worth the investment for Washington,” Ballentine wrote. “He has a great build for the position (6’1″, 200 pounds) and is a physical presence with the long speed to contribute on special teams. Add in the fact that the Commanders cornerback room still has questionable depth, and Anusiem has a good shot at making the roster.”
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