Roman Harper says Emmanuel Forbes is not getting enough respect ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
The 2023 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching in a few months and plenty of the nation’s top defensive back prospects are getting plenty of buzz and hype from pundits across the country. One player who some people think is not getting nearly enough respect ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft is former Mississippi State star Emmanuel Forbes. In his Mock Draft 1.0, ESPN’s Mel Kiper listed Forbes as the fourth corner off the board in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Former Alabama star Roman Harper recently made a guest appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show, and he was simply baffled by the lack of respect that Forbes is getting leading up to the draft.
You can listen to the audio below or read the transcribed audio below the clip.
“I just don’t understand it. And that’s because I’m a DB at heart, and we never get drafted as high as we should be. Quarterbacks always get overdrafted. And why am I not hearing enough love for Emmanuel Forbes of Mississippi State? Like….what else could he do in his college career to put him at the top of the draft board? I hear Cam Smith. I hear Brian Branch. All those names going up in the first round for SEC guys,” Harper said.
“But what’s up with my man, who probably played the best out of every defensive back, or every defender in all the SEC last year. I don’t see many corners in college that can play off coverage and zero man to man coverage and play press. And you don’t see any drop off in his game. Somebody like Kelee Ringo. We all love his size, speed, and ability combination but he’s a guy that only plays press and it’s more intuitive that he goes to the right situation, versus a corner like Emmanuel Forbes, you can plug and play in all 32 teams,” Harper explained.
Harper makes a number of excellent points and he’s not kidding about Forbes doing everything in his power to be one of the top corners selected in the draft. There’s simply not much more he could have done.
Emmanuel Forbes, Jr. finished his career as one of the best players in school history
Forbes left a legacy in Starkville as one of the best defensive backs in Mississippi State football history and he set several school records. This season against East Tennessee State, he snatched his sixth pick-six of his college football career, setting the SEC and national record. He finished his career with 14 career interceptions for Mississippi State.
This season, he snatched six interceptions, had 15 passes deflected, and three touchdowns. Forbes firmly cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players in Bulldog history. He’ll join a growing number of talented defensive backs from MSU at the next level, including Martin Emerson, Jr.
More on the 2023 NFL Draft
The 2023 NFL Draft takes place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event location this year is the plaza just outside of Union Station.
Round 1 of the NFL Draft begins at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft broadcast runs throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.
To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility. One hundred underclassmen gained approval for last year’s draft. Seventy-three of those 100 underclassmen received special eligibility while 27 of them were underclassmen who had completed their college degrees.
The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine will take place from Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis.