Should the New York Giants take a chance on the recently released former first-round pick?

Not even two years after drafting him at No. 16 overall, the Washington Commanders have traded up on cornerback Emmanuel Forbes and forfeited their 2023 first-round pick.

Should the New York Giants, in desperate need of young talent and depth in their secondary, drop a flyer on Forbes?

Let’s not make Forbes into something he wasn’t. He wasn’t good with Washington. As a rookie, he played in 14 games, starting only six. He had a passer rating of 103 and a missed tackle rate of 15.7%. He had a shocking 30% missed tackle rate this season.

The GM (Martin Mayhew) and head coach (Ron Rivera) who Forbes drafted for the Commanders no longer have jobs. New GM Adam Peters and defensive-minded head coach Dan Quinn had little use for Forbes, a 6-foot, 180-pound beanpole player who weighed 166 pounds at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. Forbes played just six games with one start for Washington this season. He had only played eight defensive snaps since Week 8.

The Giants have Deonte Banks, eight Forbes picks, Cor’Dale Flott and Dru Phillips as starters. However, they have nothing behind this trio that would allow them to comfortably carry on in 2025.

Veteran Adoree’ Jackson won’t be back next season – it was a surprise that he was back this season. Tre Hawkins is usually inactive. Art Green and Greg Stroman are real practice players.

So should they take a chance on Forbes?

If Forbes were to claim waivers, it would mean the Giants would have to cover the remainder of the final two years of his fully guaranteed, $15.407 million rookie contract. If the Giants are interested, they would be more likely to sign him as a free agent after he clears waivers to avoid taking the rookie contract.

Draft analyst Doug Farrar posted a nice breakdown from Forbes for Athlon Sports. Here is part of it:

Forbes was my ninth-ranked cornerback in the 2023 draft class, so it’s fair to assume I thought the Commanders had over-drafted him to some extent. Unfortunately, a year and a half later, things have developed in a way that seems to confirm this.

But the interesting thing about Forbes’ college admission was that he was more on the ball then than he is now, and some of the deficiencies that were exposed in the NFL weren’t present in college.

I think the right situation and the right combination of defensive coordinator, defensive coach and teammates could spur Emmanuel Forbes and make him more than he is today.

But now the pressure is on Forbes to prove he’s more than just another name in the long line of recent first-rounders who simply haven’t practiced in the nation’s capital.

As a free agent, would Forbes be worth playing for the Giants?