The Washington Commanders have had their best season in years with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. His play, along with Dan Quinn’s coaching, has put the team in a position to make the postseason. However, this team is still recovering from the previous regime. The previous staff made many decisions on personnel that did not work out. One of those players was former first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes. He struggled in his rookie season and has not improved. At times, he has been unplayable. While many first-round picks will get plenty of chances with their team, the Commanders decided to part ways with Forbes on Saturday.
Washington Commanders Release Emmanuel Forbes
Emmanuel Forbes was the 16th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The biggest knock on him coming out of Mississippi State was his size. Coming out of college, he was only 166 pounds and is currently listed at 180. Analysts worried about Forbes’ ability to deal with the physical nature of the NFL. In 20 games for the Washington Commanders, he had two interceptions and 12 passes defended but was often benched by Ron Rivera because teams would target him. This season, he only appeared in six games and was a trade candidate by the deadline. It seems they were not able to find a trade partner and opted to release him.
To make matters worse for the Washington Commanders, Christian Gonzalez was taken right after Forbes and has been one of the best young defenders in the NFL. If Gonzalez is able to develop into one of the best defensive backs in the league, this could go down as one of the all-time draft mistakes. Under Ron Rivera, the team had trouble drafting talent, and with the release of Forbes, no players drafted by the previous regime remain on the roster.
Drafting Trouble
The last five years of first-round draft picks are no longer on the roster for the Washington Commanders. Teams are able to sustain success by drafting and developing. While every draft pick won’t be a hit, teams need to get at least a few quality starters over a five-year period. Here are all the first-round picks from 2019-2023 for the Commanders.
- Montez Sweat: Traded to the Chicago Bears last season
- Dwayne Haskins: Released
- Chase Young: Traded to the San Francisco 49ers. Currently on the New Orleans Saints
- Jamin Davis: Released
- Jahan Dotson: Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles this year
- Emmanuel Forbes: Released
While the Washington Commanders did receive some compensation for a few of these players, it is still a gut punch for fans to look at this list. It is hard to build winning teams with this many misses.
Final Thoughts
The Washington Commanders have already changed the narrative in the first round this year. Daniels looks like the long-term answer at quarterback despite some recent struggles. The new coach and GM will get more chances to build this team through the draft. If Washington is going to become a consistent contender in the NFC East, they will need to draft and develop much better.
