Big Board ranking: #22
Positional ranking: #6
Overview
Position: CB
College: Mississippi State
Class: Junior
Age: 22
Measurables
Height: 6’0 3/4”
Weight: 166 lbs.
Arm length: 32 1/4″
Hand size: 8 1/2″
Athletic testing
40-yard dash: 4.35 sec.
10-yard split: 1.48 sec.
Vertical jump: 37.5″
Broad jump: 131.0″
Bench press: N/A
3-cone drill: N/A
Short shuttle: N/A
Strengths
Long strider with above-average top speed. Phenomenal ball skills and production. FBS record with six career interceptions returned for a touchdown. Superb hand-eye coordination and catches like a wide receiver. Takes angles to undercut throws and come away with the ball. Quarterbacks seem wary of testing him even when allowing a bit of separation because of his playmaking ability. Excellent in shuffle technique. Able to play man coverage with his eyes on the quarterback. Can make up ground when a step behind to bait quarterbacks. Recovers quickly if beaten on release. Tremendous play recognition and reaction time. Extremely quick to identify designed throws in front of him. Great combination of length and instincts in Cover-3 zones. Erases back-shoulder throws and uses the sideline on vertical routes. Press jams can be aggressive. Comfortable matching up with tight ends on the perimeter. Played some man coverage in the slot. Has shown he will make tackles by striking at the thighs and wrapping. Will dip around blocks by wide receivers to come up to tackle. Uses length and works to get off blocks. Goes for strips with help around him on gang tackles. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young routinely declined throw in his direction (2022).
Weaknesses
Very thin overall build. Opening from press can be more efficient. Will sometimes lose positioning when flipping his hips to cover downfield routes. Has some problems getting jams on quick releases. Needs to avoid jersey tugs versus in-breaking routes. Extremely inconsistent as a tackler and less effective when broken down in space. Dives at an opponent’s ankles too often. Will get pushed back by physical blockers and offensive linemen. Did not tackle well at all versus Kentucky (2022).
NFL comparison
Marcus Peters
Conclusion
Overall, Forbes is a top playmaking cornerback with an elite combination of ball skills, instincts, and production. The threat he poses to take the ball away in both man and zone coverage should make Forbes a defender worth taking in Round 1 despite his size.