The Los Angeles Rams’ secondary will be put to the test in 2025, going up against many talented NFC wide receivers, including A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Mike Evans, Brandon Aiyuk, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Drake London, Chris Olave, and Marvin Harrison Jr., to name a few. Their pass defense hopes to perform better than they did a season ago, allowing the 13th-most passing yards and tied for the 5th-most passing touchdowns in 2024. The Rams are actively looking for a veteran cornerback to make their life easier.
If the front office fails to add a veteran cornerback, a former 1st round pick could play a key role later on.
The Los Angeles Rams CB had a rough start to career
Emmanuel Forbes Jr. had a rough start to his NFL career with the Washington Commanders, lasting only 1.5 seasons. Forbes struggled in coverage during his rookie season, resulting in multiple benchings, including being a healthy scratch in Week 6, and also battled an elbow injury later in the year that caused him to miss Weeks 12 and 13. He recorded 38 tackles, one interception, and 11 pass deflections while allowing 598 passing yards, three touchdowns, and a 103.0 passer rating in 14 games and six starts.
Forbes began his second season as a starter, but an injury caused him to fall out of the rotation. He underwent surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right thumb sustained in Week 1, which caused him to miss Weeks 2 and 3. The former 1st rounder returned in Week 4, but soon fell out of the rotation and did not play in five of the next ten games, leading to him being waived in Week 13. He recorded seven tackles, one interception, and one pass deflection while allowing 75 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and a 64.1 passer rating in six games and one start.
The Los Angeles Rams claimed Emmanuel Forbes Jr. off waivers in Week 14. He did not play in the first three games with the Rams but played in the final two games, including a start in Week 18. Forbes recorded five tackles and one pass deflection, allowing 38 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and an 83.7 passer rating.
Los Angeles Rams’ former 1st round pick hopes to revitalize career
During Thursday’s press conference, via Adam Grosbard of the LA Daily News, Emmanuel Forbes Jr. provided an update on his progress and his first full offseason with Los Angeles. The former 1st round pick said he has taken advantage of the fresh start, hoping to turn things around and revitalize his career in 2025. This adjustment has allowed Forbes to play faster and smarter while making more plays on the football field.
“I got here late in the season so it’s kind of hard to learn the ins and outs of the defense,” Forbes said, via Grosbard. “So since I had a whole offseason here, been here most of the time and just learning the ins and outs of the defense, you know, I’m able to play faster and play smarter, honestly, and make plays on the ball.”
Their head coach is impressed with him
“I was really impressed with the way that he came in, his willingness to be coached, his openness to maybe some different techniques,” McVay said. “And that’s really tough to do in the middle of the year, especially given the background of the Washington. And I thought he came in with a great demeanor and disposition.
“Aubrey (Pleasant) always does such a good job of being able to connect with guys, let me connect with you first, then let me learn how we can continue to communicate, speak the saying languages, and then I’ll be able to slowly feed you what we’re trying to be able to get done in bite-size increments. And you’ve just seen the progression.”
