Washington Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes came into the league last year at 166 pounds, one of the lightest players in NFL history.

His size didn’t scare the Commanders because he was an absolute ballhawk in college, tying the NCAA record for most pick-sixes in a career. However, his size hurt him in the NFL as many teams targeted his size early and often.

That being said, Forbes is hoping that won’t be as much of an issue in his second NFL season.

“Well, I think you want to hit the markers along the way. So for him, adding more size and to be 15 or 18 pounds heavier than he was a year ago. That’s a big step in the right direction,” coach Dan Quinn said. “So, it’s a matter of hitting all the spots to go. Tackling that part of things, that’s a big piece of it, but until you go through some of the games and that you’re not really able to demonstrate that but you can show markers. ‘My body feels different, I’m stronger.’ Those are things that lead up to that, but you still have to go do it.”

Forbes is still on the lighter side compared to most cornerbacks, but it’s refreshing to see the progress. Forbes looked like an absolute bust after being chosen with the No. 16 pick, but it isn’t because he was necessarily a bad player. He was set up to fail, and now he’s in a better position to succeed.