Ron Rivera will never outrun the regret tied to one atrocious Commanders move

"When Rivera entered the draft war room in 2023, which would be his last at the helm, he had one prospect on his mind. There was no deviating from the Commanders, even when one of the blue-chip prospects fell into their lap. The head coach was going to take Emmanuel Forbes Jr., and nothing would get in his way. New England saw this coming a mile away. Bill Belichick traded down, safe in the knowledge that he could still get his hands on Christian Gonzalez."

"Forbes didn't even last two seasons in Washington before being cut. He's currently on the Los Angeles Rams, but the cornerback's lack of size continues to expose weaknesses. As for Gonzalez? He's firmly cemented as one of the league's most accomplished players in coverage. Gonzalez was nothing short of sensational in the Super Bowl. He came up with some outstanding pass breakups, and nobody got consistent joy when going up against him."

"Almost everyone thought Gonzalez was the better prospect coming out. One of the few who didn't was Rivera. And to the Commanders' detriment, he was the one making the selection. The rest, as they say, is history. This was a microcosm of Rivera's inept personnel evaluation at the top end of the draft. He gets the benefit of the doubt for Chase Young, who was a consensus pick despite the need to find a franchise quarterback."

Seattle's Super Bowl win magnified Christian Gonzalez's elite coverage, as he consistently disrupted passes and limited opposing receivers. Bill Belichick anticipated Ron Rivera's commitment to Emmanuel Forbes Jr. and traded down to acquire Gonzalez in the 2023 draft. Forbes lasted under two seasons in Washington and now plays for the Rams, with size concerns undermining his play. Gonzalez has emerged as one of the league's premier coverage defenders and delivered a standout Super Bowl performance. Rivera's top-end evaluations produced multiple failed picks in Washington — with the notable exception of Chase Young — highlighting personnel issues at the draft table.

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