Forbes has a real chance to carve out a role with the Rams in 2025

When breaking down the Los Angeles Rams’ cornerback group, most of the attention goes to Darious Williams, Ahkello Witherspoon and Cobie Durant. Even Quentin Lake, a versatile safety who mostly covers the slot, is one of the headliners at cornerback.

Alongside those four players is a somewhat forgotten corner with a chance to carve out a bigger role in 2025: Emmanuel Forbes.

The Rams claimed Forbes off waivers from the Washington Commanders late last season, adding him to their 53-man roster. Forbes is a former first-round pick who didn’t pan out in Washington, and he’s aiming to make a name for himself in Los Angeles.

“I got here late in the season so it’s kind of hard to learn the ins and outs of the defense,” Forbes said via Adam Grosbard of the LA Daily News. “So since I had a whole offseason here, been here most of the time and just learning the ins and outs of the defense, you know, I’m able to play faster and play smarter, honestly, and make plays on the ball.”

Forbes, the 16th overall pick in the 2023 draft, was active for just six games in Washington last year before being cut. After landing with the Rams, he played 52 defensive snaps in the finale against Seattle.

He’s been in L.A. for most of the offseason as he attempts to turn his career around after a dreadful start with the Commanders. Sean McVay has been impressed with Forbes since he came in late last year and that’s carried over into the spring.

It’s still early in the offseason but McVay likes his fluid movements in drills and the ball skills he’s displayed dating back to his college days at Mississippi State.

“I was really impressed with the way that he came in, his willingness to be coached, his openness to maybe some different techniques,” McVay said this week. “And that’s really tough to do in the middle of the year, especially given the background of the Washington. And I thought he came in with a great demeanor and disposition. Aubrey (Pleasant) always does such a good job of being able to connect with guys, let me connect with you first, then let me learn how we can continue to communicate, speak the saying languages, and then I’ll be able to slowly feed you what we’re trying to be able to get done in bite-size increments. And you’ve just seen the progression.”

In a limited sample size, Forbes appears to have made a positive impression on the coaching staff ahead of his all-important third season in the NFL. McVay noted that Forbes “made a play” in the opening practice of OTAs on Wednesday and is encouraged by the progress he’s shown since coming to L.A.

“Today was the first step, but you can see even when he’s responding to questions, what he’s showing in the walkthroughs, even watching him in some full speed settings today, you see the ability in some of the individual drills, the movements, the ability to get in and out of breaks and things like that and then the length and the ball skills to be able to pick the ball off. Those are big deals,” McVay continued. “I thought he did some really good stuff against Seattle in Week 18 last year. And so I’m encouraged to really use this as an evaluation. And you guys know, we try to get as many meaningful reps in these settings as possible. The closest thing to real football without playing tackle is when we can put the pads on. So there still is an understanding of we’re just trying to set foundations, but I think he’s done a really good job with what he can control.”

The cornerback group isn’t necessarily wide open in Los Angeles, but there’s certainly room for movement. Williams is a veteran who had his snaps limited a bit in the playoffs. Witherspoon was re-signed to a one-year deal this offseason, but it was only for the veteran minimum so it’s not as if they’re committed to him financially. Durant’s playing time varied dramatically last season, playing every defensive snap three times but less than 60% in each of the Rams’ two playoff games.

There’s a real chance that if Forbes continues to progress throughout the offseason, he could play meaningful snaps at cornerback this season. It’s a very fluid group without a surefire No. 1 option so the opportunity is there for the taking.