Emmanuel Forbes had 14 interceptions in three seasons at Mississippi State and he returned six of them for touchdowns – an FBS record. He’s the cornerback that ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has going to the Minnesota Vikings in his first 2023 mock draft.
Kiper Jr. says Forbes has “tremendous potential as a cover corner,” which is what the Vikings lacked in 2022 as their passing defense ranked 31st and allowed a whopping 265.5 yards per game.
“Veteran Patrick Peterson was the Vikings’ top corner this season, but he’s a free agent, and even if the team brings him back, it should start thinking about the future in the secondary,” writes Kiper Jr. “Safety Lewis Cine, Minnesota’s first-rounder last April, played just two defensive snaps before breaking his leg and missing the rest of the season. He should make a full recovery, but can the Vikings improve on the outside too? Rookie second-round pick Andrew Booth Jr. played in just six games due to injury, and he’s not a lock to start. Whoever takes over for fired coordinator Ed Donatell needs options.”
Forbes was a freak at Mississippi State, and he got started from the jump with five interceptions as a freshman in 2021, three of which he returned for touchdowns. He followed that up with three interceptions as a sophomore before exploding with six picks, including three pick-sixes, as a junior this past season.
According to Pro Football Focus, all six of Forbes’ interceptions this season were in man coverage. No other corner in college football had more than three.
But PFF’s latest rankings has Forbes seventh among cornerbacks in the draft. It calls him a Day 2 pick, describing his play style as a “route jumper,” which was evident on this highlight against Kentucky quarterback Will Levis, who is expected to be a top-10 pick.
Emmanuel Forbes is HIM. pic.twitter.com/tmZromjz0r
— Tru Maroon Nation (@TruMaroonNation) October 16, 2022
Minnesota’s starting secondary could look entirely different next season.
They started this season with Patrick Peterson and Cam Dantzler as the top two corners, with Harrison Smith at strong safety and Cam Bynum at free safety. Peterson says he wants to come back but he’s an unrestricted free agent. Dantzler struggled with injuries and eventually lost his starting job to Duke Shelley. Smith could be a salary cap casualty because of the $19.4 million cap hit he carries into 2023.
What will the Vikings’ starting secondary look like if Peterson and Smith don’t return?
A cornerback like Forbes could start as a rookie, with Shelley perhaps on the other side of the field. Bynum could return to start at free safety with Josh Mettellus taking over for Smith at strong safety. And if Lewis Cine does make a full recovery, it’s possible that a safety tandem of Mettellus and Cine could appear in 2023.
We’re obviously spitballing at this point, but the secondary is likely going to look quite a bit different when the Vikings take the field next season.
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