Ron Rivera didn’t get much right during his four NFL Drafts as Washington Commanders’ head coach and roster constructor. This was no more evident than with his first-round selections.
None of the quartet chosen by Rivera in the first round are still with the franchise. Chase Young and Jahan Dotson were traded. Jamin Davis and Emmanuel Forbes Jr. were waived. The fact Washington did so well in Year 1 under the new regime without any influence from the team’s recent high-end draft capital is extraordinary.
Forbes was arguably the most tragic tale of all. Nobody expected him to be a first-round pick. There were significant red flags regarding his weight and overall physique despite an exceptional college career at Mississippi State. Rivera had other ideas, focusing almost solely on the cornerback despite a golden opportunity falling into his lap.
That, of course, was Christian Gonzalez.
Many anticipated Gonzalez to be a top-10 pick. Some even had him going in the opening five selections. When he dropped to No. 16 overall, Rivera dismissed the possibility and chose Forbes. That was a grave error in judgment and another nail in his proverbial Washington head-coaching coffin.
Forbes got bullied at the pro level. His coverage was subpar and he quickly became a tackling liability. Gonzalez had problems with injuries as a rookie, but he bounced back incredibly well to emerge as one of the league’s most promising coverage presences on the boundary.
Reporter highlights Commanders’ front-office dissension over Ron Rivera’s personnel approach
A recent report from JP Finlay of NBC Sports highlighted the inner frustration regarding Rivera’s woeful personnel decisions. He revealed there was screaming within the Commanders’ draft room when he went with Forbes over Gonzalez. His ignorance regarding typical NFL-caliber size wasn’t well-received by others in the front office. He paid a heavy price.
“Not to give away state secrets, right? But during the Ron [Rivera] era, there was real dissension within that front office on some of the philosophical decision-making as it related to size where they would askew. The easiest thing to point to, and I know there was a screaming match on draft day about the [Emmanuel] Forbes decision when [Christian] Gonzalez was there. This dude has prototype size, speed, has every measurable. And then you look at a lot of the decisions during that Ron era, it seemed like they were not scared to move away from what you would want from size, speed.”
JP Finlay
This wasn’t just restricted to the draft room. Fans were apoplectic on social media when the Forbes selection was announced. Rivera trusted his instincts and believed this was the right thing to solve Washington’s cornerback woes. He was wrong.
Nobody is looking back now. The Commanders are riding a tidal wave of positivity after reaching the NFC Championship game in Dan Quinn’s first season. Two-thirds of Rivera’s roster was overhauled by general manager Adam Peters. More big changes are on the way this offseason. Everything is looking up at long last.
It’s an exciting time. Rivera’s personnel mishaps are firmly in the back of everyone’s mind right now. There is more professionalism and collaboration in the decision-making process than ever. And the early results speak for themselves.
Whiffing on one first-round pick is tolerable. Not hitting on four in succession is absolute malpractice.
