2023 NFL Draft: Emmanuel Forbes Travels West to Face Jacob Cowing

The Mississippi State Bulldogs will trek across multiple time zones for their battle with the Arizona Wildcats this weekend. Kick-off takes place at 10 PM local time for the Mississippi State fandom. Two 2023 NFL Draft prospects to watch for are Emmanuel Forbes and Jacob Cowing.

The Bulldogs are coming off of a 26-point win at home versus the Memphis Tigers. Likewise, the Wildcats secured a three-score victory at San Diego State in their inaugural game of the season.

Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes is the most intriguing pro prospect on the team and ranks high on a majority of the 2023 NFL Draft rankings at cornerback. He is tied for the most interceptions returned for a touchdown (3) in school history and is as fluid of an athlete as there is at the position.

In his first game of the season, Forbes’ side of the field was largely ignored by Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan. However, in the fourth quarter, Forbes was beaten for a touchdown, something that he is not accustomed to seeing happen.

The good news is, on the following two-point conversion attempt, Forbes rebounded and nearly picked off the pass in the end zone. This encapsulates his mentality and tendency to have a short memory after making a mistake.

Arizona wide receiver Jacob Cowing has quickly emerged as one of the most exciting wide receivers in the country. Anyone who watched UTEP last year knew this breakout was possible, but it was hard to know how much the level of competition played a part in his success.

San Diego State is by no means a juggernaut on the college football scene, but they are a step above what Cowing saw in 2021. The undersized wide receiver flashed his YAC ability on his first two touchdowns with the Wildcats by hauling in some passes and using his exceptional short-area quickness to blow by the defenders.

On his third touchdown, he gave scouts a glimpse of what he could do as a deep threat. Cowing, lined up in the slot, hit a double move on the poor inside linebacker that drew him as an assignment and left the defender in his dust. This resulted in an easy 25-yard touchdown for the 2023 NFL Draft hopeful.

Heading into their late-night matchup in Tucson, Forbes is on an upward trajectory and Cowing’s stock is at an all-time high. Although Cowing spends a lot of his time in the slot and Forbes typically shadows one side of the field, their paths will undoubtedly cross a handful of times on the gridiron.

Forbes has a special blend of athleticism and ball skills, using both to stick with receivers downfield and disrupt passing lanes consistently. He is not the biggest cornerback in the 2023 NFL Draft class, but this won’t be an issue during his matchup with the slight frame of Cowing.

The cornerback needs to prove that the busted assignment he had against Memphis is a thing of the past and not an indicator of future struggles. Forbes has mostly clean tape during his time in Starkville, but these lapses have shown up from time to time.

As far as Jacob Cowing goes, I am all in. He is not going to ‘wow’ anyone when it comes to his height (5’11”) and weight (174 pounds), but he looked like Barry Sanders in the Tecmo Bowl every time he touched the ball Saturday.

Cowing used his incredible burst not only with the ball in his hands but also as he ran routes. The shifty wide receiver can change direction on a dime and comes out of every route with a smooth, clean break.

He is the type of player that a quarterback loves because he’s capable of housing a screen pass or blowing by his defender for a 50-yard bomb. Jayden de Laura is quickly finding this out, and you can bet that he will continue to utilize his new weapon as the season wears on.

Both guys enter this matchup with their eyes set on victory. They’ll likely be seeing each other on Sundays in the future, but part one of their story begins this weekend. Keep an eye on No. 13 for Mississippi State and No. 2 for Arizona when it comes to the 2023 NFL Draft.