Emmanuel Forbes' latest horror show vindicates Patriots draft masterstroke

There was a lot of speculation surrounding the Patriots' first-round pick heading into the 2023 NFL Draft, with most believing they would inevitably choose an offensive lineman to boost one of the weakest areas of the team.

While that would have been a valid decision, Bill Belichick went to the defense instead and selected cornerback Christian Gonzalez with the 17th pick. It was an unforeseen outcome, given that the Oregon product was projected to be a top-10 selection and would have been long gone by the time the Patriots were on the clock.

So seeing Gonzalez fall into their lap even after trading down was a no-brainer that analysts and fans could not be upset about.

But it did raise questions about why arguably the best cornerback of the class fell as far as he did, especially given how highly touted he was coming into the draft. Were there character issues? Were there any injuries that the teams were not aware of? Nothing was found, therefore making less sense.

The Patriots clearly got the steal of the draft, which is looking even better seeing how the cornerback selected the pick right before Gonzalez has been a disappointing addition to the Commanders' defense, which was seen again in their Week 1 matchup against the Bucs on Sunday.

Emmanuel Forbes' struggles in Washington further prove the Patriots won the cornerback lottery with Christian Gonzalez

The Patriots' ability to trade back, force a former foe to draft a player their divisional rival wanted, and somehow mind-trick the Commanders into taking a worse cornerback with one pick ahead of them should be studied until the end of time.

It will surely go down as one of the best draft-day fallouts of Bill Belichick's career, especially since Gonzalez is already looking like he has the potential to be a top-5 cornerback in the NFL after just five games in the pros.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about Emmanuel Forbes, the Mississippi State alum who has struggled to find footing since joining the Commanders last spring. After a decent yet unimpressive rookie season, there were expectations that perhaps he would be much improved in his second season.

Although that could still become a reality, Forbes' performance against the Bucs in Week 1 was a mess, with his most memorable moment being a double penalty play that led to a Tampa Bay touchdown.

On the other hand, Gonzalez had one of the best performances by a cornerback against the top receivers in the league, Ja'Marr Chase. He allowed just three receptions on 20 routes for 15 yards, a feat that most seasoned veterans can't accomplish on their best day.

It's a stroke of genius by Belichick and the Patriots staff yet again, while the Commanders need to hope they can get Forbes back on track for the rest of the season.

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