The perfect player just fell into the LA Rams laps, and here are 6 reasons why:

(2) - Never pass up a free lunch

Emmanuel Forbes was chosen with the 16th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. Having played just three seasons of college football, Forbes arrived a bit young. He had just turned 22 years old when he heard his name at the podium by the Washington Commanders. And he has nearly two years of NFL experience now.

Forbes official record indicates that he stands 6-foot-0 and weighs 180 pounds. But he has been recorded at 6-foot-1 and 166 pounds. That is pretty light weight to compete at the level of physicality needed to flourish in the NFL. And he has had two training camps, and all that time in the gym, practice field, and weigh room to pack on the muscle.

So yes, there is still work to do in order to help Emmanuel Forbes realize his optimal playing weight.

But let's step back for a moment. The LA Rams did not have a Round 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Yet, here they are, less than two years later, with a player who was selected in Round 1 of that draft. The great news is that he no longer needs to live up to the expectations that come with a Day 1 rookie. Now, he merely needs to live up to the need to compete in the NFL.

Will Forbes excel with the Rams? Who can say? But the cost of putting in a waiver claim and picking him up at his rookie contract is a pittance compared to the cost of signing a veteran free agent defensive back or the use of a draft pick to select an elite cornerback prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. We had cited cornerback as an NFL Draft need early in the season. Two months later, we doubled down on cornerback as a draft need.

I'm not anointing Forbes as a starter in 2025. But over the next five games, the team will have a pretty solid handle on how Rams-ready he can develop for next season. And that will serve the team well in determining just how urgent choosing a rookie cornerback will be. And how many cornerbacks must be added.