Broncos’ First-Year Starter Called One of NFL’s ‘Best Young Cornerbacks’

One of the biggest questions surrounding the Denver Broncos headed into the 2024 season was how they were going to find a cornerback to hold their own opposite arguably the NFL’s best player at the position in NFL All-Pro Patrick Surtain II.

Five games into the regular season, the Broncos have established themselves as one of the NFL’s dominant defenses. That has come after one player answered the bell at cornerback in first-year starter Riley Moss, who Sports Illustrated’s Chad Evans called “one of the NFL’s best young cornerbacks” after the Broncos won their third consecutive game on October 6 with a 34-18 win over the Las Vegas Raiders as Moss recorded his first career interception.

Through his first 5 starts, Moss leads Denver with 33 tackles to go with 1 interception, 4 pass deflections and 1 tackle for loss headed into a Week 6 home game against the Los Angeles Chargers on October 13.

According to PFF, Moss is grading out at No. 7 among all NFL cornerbacks.

“There’s no question that Moss is having himself a year,” Evans wrote. “The 2023 third-round draft pick out of Iowa is in his first year as a starter, and the early returns have been near-on spectacular. In tandem with Surtain’s production, the Broncos are giddy. In the Broncos’ 34-18 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, Moss was pivotal. He had two passes defensed and notched the first interception of his career, as the Broncos smothered the Raiders’ two quarterbacks. Between Moss and Surtain, the Broncos’ cornerback duo totaled three interceptions.”

Moss Became Odd Part of NFL History in Game 1

When Moss beat out Damarri Mathis for the starting cornerback spot opposite Surtain for the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, he became an odd part of NFL history as the first white cornerback to start a game in 22 years — since Jason Sehorn for the New York Giants in 2002.

That’s also to say no one on the Broncos’ coaching staff has been surprised by his success.

“One of the tough things sometimes when drafting a player out of college is you see him in maybe a couple of schemes,” Denver head coach Sean Payton told Sports Illustrated. “Riley, they played a lot of quarters at Iowa, and they played it well. They’re well-coached on defense. Then they’d mix in some other coverages. So then you’re projecting, ‘When they get to this level, how will they be in man, how will they be in these other coverages?’ I would say this training camp, we saw it all camp. So it wasn’t really a surprise.”

Moss Went From FCS Commit to Big Ten Star

Moss was originally committed to play for FCS powerhouse North Dakota State but flipped when he got a late offer from Iowa, where he was an All-American and the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year in 2021.

As a rookie in 2023, Moss played primarily on special teams with 6 tackles in 14 games.

“Obviously, I look different,” Moss told The Palm Beach Post’s Joe Schad before the 2023 NFL draft. “I don’t play different. I’m obviously, you know, one of one, but at the same time, it doesn’t really affect me. And you know, sometimes, teams will see me out there and they’ll throw the ball towards my way. Absolutely. Let’s go. Throw it. Throw me the ball.”