Emmanuel Forbes continued a trend of Mississippi State products having success on draft night when the Washington Commanders selected him with the 16th overall pick.

Mississippi State has been a program over the last decade with plenty of success stories on Sundays, and though it’s too early to tell what kind of player Forbes will be at the next level, he’s got the skillset NFL teams are looking for in a cornerback. The Grenada, Mississippi native hauled in 14 interceptions during his three collegiate seasons while setting an FBS record with six of those returned for touchdowns. That playmaking ability is exactly what Commanders head coach Ron Rivera was looking for.

"It's the takeaways first and foremost. That's one of the things that really stood out for us," Rivera said. "That was one thing we needed to step up on, and this is a young man that is a takeaway machine. He does a heck of a job in man coverage. A great job with his zone coverage, so a lot of the things he does fits very well with the way we play, with the style we play. Analytically speaking, when you look at the metrics, look at the numbers, a lot of it pointed to him as being one of our top choices."

Former Bulldogs in the NFL are cashing in with monster contracts. While Forbes is set to make around $16 million on his rookie deal, he joins the Mississippi State alumni in the NFL with active contracts adding up to over $400 million.

The headliner of that is Dak Prescott, of course. The Cowboys quarterback is entering his eighth season under center for America’s Team. He’s tossed 166 touchdowns in his career and recently signed a four-year deal worth $160 million, not to mention the massive sponsorship he has from Jordan Brand.

The majority of Mississippi State’s success has come on the defensive side from products of the Magnolia State. Earlier this month, Noxubee County’s Jeffery Simmons signed a four-year $94 million extension to stay on the Titans’ defensive front after his second consecutive All-Pro campaign. Yazoo City’s Fletcher Cox and Houston’s Chris Jones, who recently matched up in the Super Bowl manning the defensive line for the Eagles and Chiefs, have combined for three Super Bowl rings, ten Pro Bowls, and over $180 million in career earnings.

Five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay recently made his first Super Bowl appearance with the Eagles, and though he’s not originally from the State, he was a product of Itawamba Community College. The same goes for Forbes’ new teammate Montez Sweat, who has tallied 29 sacks during his first four seasons in the NFL after spending his college career at Copiah-Lincoln Community College and Mississippi State.

Forbes is set to team up with another former Bulldog in the defensive backfield in Cameron Dantzler, who started 26 games for the Vikings over the past three seasons. Forbes’ backfield mate for two years in Starkville, Martin Emerson, is coming off an impressive rookie season with the Browns where he was graded as the 23rd-best cornerback in the NFL by PFF.

Charles Cross had a successful rookie season starting at left tackle for the Seahawks after being drafted ninth overall, while Starkville native Willie Gay hoisted the Lombardi after starting at linebacker for the Chiefs. Clarksdale product Elgton Jenkins was named to his second Pro Bowl in 2022 and signed a four-year $68 million extension to remain on the offensive line in Green Bay.

There are just too many names to name to get a grasp of the impact Mississippi State has made in the NFL. Forbes, Cross, and Emerson are the first of the success stories who played under Zach Arnett, with Forbes and Cross reigning from the state of Mississippi. Arnett has made that the vision for his program. He wants to recruit the best in Mississippi to continue the success that Mississippi prospects have had in the Maroon & White, and beyond.

“I take great pride, you hear the stat of 28 Bulldogs in the NFL, 19 of them either played high school football or junior college football in the state of Mississippi,” Arnett said after Mississippi State’s spring game. “I’ve said it ever since I became the head coach here. I think even back when I was defensive coordinator. As long as we keep the best players in the state of Mississippi coming to Mississippi State the future of this program is incredibly bright.”