Not many of the prospects the Patriots bring in for top-30 visits before the 2023 NFL Draft will actually end up on the team. But it's still interesting to see who Bill Belichick and his staff are keeping an eye on in the lead-up to the draft.
One player who will be coming to Foxborough for a tour could be a sneaky candidate for the Patriots in the first round: Mississippi State's Emmanuel Forbes.
For those who have followed the draft closely, Forbes is one of the more intriguing prospects at the top of the class.
He's best known for two things: being a stick figure from a physical standpoint -- checking in at 6-1 and 166 pounds at the NFL Combine -- and taking the ball away from opponents.
Forbes' on-ball production is undeniable. The wiry cornerback had a whopping 14 interceptions, including six in 2022, and 22 passes defended in his college career. On top of that, he currently owns the FBS record for pick-sixes with six of those in total, as well.
What he lacks in size, he makes up for in overall athleticism, gliding to a 4.35 40-yard dash time at the Combine and jumping out of the gym as well (37.5-inch vertical, 10-11 broad jump). All those things show up in the short-area quickness he displays and his vertical speed to run with receivers or recover after getting beat, which are both impressive for someone with his lanky frame.
Still, you can't deny his size could be a problem in the run game and when playing against big, physical wide receivers. Also, his long-legged frame can make it difficult to overcome his slender build by mirroring routes with quickness, which can leave him susceptible to smaller receivers as well.
But when he can drive on the football or is close enough to get a hand on it, he rarely fails to do so.
On paper, it might be hard to justify taking Forbes over cornerbacks like Devon Witherspoon or Joey Porter Jr., who both have more NFL-ready bodies and play more physically than Forbes does. So it'd be a bit shocking to see him go as high as No. 14.
That said, his skills are of first-round caliber, and any team that's willing to be patient with him and help him build his body up after his first season could be getting a star in the making.
We'll see soon enough if the Patriots are that team.
