NFL analyst lambasts Ron Rivera's final Commanders draft catastrophe

Adam Peters spent his first year at the helm fixing the mess left by the previous Washington Commanders regime. The general manager didn't think much of Ron Rivera's personnel decisions. This was especially evident with the fate of first-round selections made by the former head coach.

Chase Young was traded to the San Francisco 49ers before the 2023 deadline. Jahan Dotson got shipped to the Philadelphia Eagles before the 2024 campaign. Jamin Davis couldn't successfully transition to an edge-rushing role and was waived.

Rivera's infatuation with the cornerback during his final pre-draft assessment process was ill-advised. He was steadfast in his belief that he could become a shutdown presence en route to taking him No. 16 overall in 2023. It didn't take long to figure out that this was a grave error in judgment.

Forbes struggled to firmly establish himself as a rookie. He was tasked with significant responsibilities and floundered. Things didn't get much better under the new regime and he was eventually put out of his misery.

The former Mississippi State standout was waived to round off the exits for Rivera's first-rounders. Forbes was claimed by the Los Angeles Rams but hasn't featured in a competitive setting as yet.

Commanders' decision to draft Emmanuel Forbes Jr. named the worst move in five years

This quickly became a disaster of epic proportions. Something that was highlighted by Bill Barnwell of ESPN, who picked Washington's decision to take Forbes over Christian Gonzalez as their worst mistake over the last five years.

"The new regime gave him 32 snaps as a starter in the Week 1 loss to the Buccaneers, but after committing a pass interference penalty in the third quarter, he was benched again and never started another game for Washington. After 72 more defensive snaps over the next three months, the Commanders cut Forbes in early December. The Rams claimed him on waivers and picked up the remaining $5 million on his contract, which would qualify as a victory for the Commanders from their perspective. It's difficult to blame Peters & Co. for the prior regime's mistakes, but fans can only imagine what would have happened if Rivera had chosen differently. The next player off the board in the first round was another cornerback, Patriots star Christian Gonzalez, who should be in the Pro Bowl this season."

Bill Barnwell, ESPN

Gonzalez was the more accomplished prospect coming out. He had far better college production and made a seamless transition to the pros. The Commanders would have benefitted from his presence much more than Forbes, who never looked comfortable and was cast aside pretty quickly.

Rivera's assessments weren't up to the required standard. From ignoring left tackle Christian Darrisaw and stud safety Kyle Hamilton in favor of Davis and Dotson to his constant failures at the quarterback position, it was an unmitigated failure from start to finish. Fortunately for the Commanders, they are in great hands with Peters leading the charge.

He's got significant returns from his first draft class. The Commanders have a franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels. The large majority of their free-agent signings have been impactful. This is a far cry from the way Rivera went about his business.

Cutting the cord with Rivera was the only correct move by ownership. Targeting Peters and convincing him to join this exciting project was arguably the best move Josh Harris has made to date.

As for Forbes? He's got a lot of hard work ahead. But reaching the heights expected of a first-round pick seems unlikely.