The Commanders have a slew of new free agent signings and draft picks that can make an impact on the 2023 team – but Grant Paulsen thinks the one that will make the most impact is the one they selected in the first round of the Draft.
Earlier this month, Pro Football Focus looked at the biggest move each team made this offseason, and realistically, the pending ownership change and the hiring of Eric Bieniemy are easy answers for the Commanders, at least in Grant’s mind.
But it’s truly what happens on the field that counts, and that’s why Grant thinks Emmanuel Forbes is going to end up as the biggest impact addition in that realm.
“You’re looking at free agents and picks that were not here last football season, to see who is going to help the team the most in 2023…and I’m going to start with Forbes,” Grant said. “I believe he will start Day 1 on the outside. I know he is very small, listed now at 180 pounds even, and it will be hard for him to keep weight on all season, but he played in the SEC at that size against very big competition for college, and was never hindered by it.”
Forbes’ size has never been an issue because, as Grant said, “he knows how to use his body in a way to keep himself out of trouble and out of the costly collisions.”
Related
And if he can continue to do that at the NFL level, it will be a big steal for the Commanders.
“At the end of this season, the story won’t be about his size, but about how Washington got this right,” Grant said, before invoking last year’s first-rounder: “What did we say when they drafted Jahan Dotson? We thought it was a little bit of a stretch, even though we liked the fact they took a receiver, but it was thought he could’ve been had later in the first round – and now, it looks like they were right, and Jahan Dotson looks like he could be a stud. I think Forbes could be very similar.”
And, even with his weight, Grant noted that he was “thumping in the SEC,” because he’s not short, and he has length to compete in the NFL.
“If he played at a small school, I’d be more concerned, but I think he’s going to have interceptions and game-changing plays, and may even score a pick-six or two this season,” Grant said.
Of course, Grant had a list of players who could also fit the bill, and you can listen to that in the full segment below!
Follow Grant & Danny on Twitter: @granthpaulsen & @funnydanny
Keep up with 106.7 The Fan via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram