Rams’ Sean McVay Reflects on Emmanuel Forbes Jr.

The Los Angeles Rams don't have a lot of star power in their backfield, and it is overall one of the weaker parts of what is otherwise an ascending defense. They have solid defenders they can rely on, like Ahkello Witherspoon and even rising stars such as Cobie Durant or Kamren Kinchens.

Yet, they lack a star cornerback they can reliably trust to lock down opposing wide receivers, like they used to have in Jalen Ramsey. That's why last year's pick-up of Emmanuel Forbes Jr. was such an exciting endeavor for the Rams, giving them an opportunity to get that star power for nothing.

Forbes Jr. was picked 16th overall in the 2023 draft class by the Washington Commanders, and despite being a young team themselves, they decided enough was enough and cut him from the team outright.

The Rams then picked him up off waivers, and the change of scenery didn't elevate his play. He only played two games for the Rams in 2024, and he was only able to defend against one pass and rack up five total tackles.

He has yet to make an impact in Los Angeles, but that doesn't mean his career is over. Sean McVay gave an update on how he's looked so far in the off-season and how he continues to develop, and what role he can be expected to him in 2025.

“I was really impressed with the way that he came in, his willingness to be coached, his openness to maybe some different techniques. And that's really tough to do in the middle of the year, especially given the background of Washington.

And I thought he came in with a great demeanor and disposition. Aubrey 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 language, and then I'll be able to slowly feed you what we're trying to be able to get done in bite-sized increments.

And you've just seen the progression. 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. 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 that we're just trying to set foundations, but I think he's done a really good job with what he can control".

If Forbes Jr. is able to bounce back from being a draft bust to the Commanders and instead rejuvenate his young career with the Rams, not only will he be a great contribution to their Super Bowl chances, but he'll also be one of the best stories around the league, highlighting his resilience and determination not to give up on his dream of playing in the NFL.