By admin 
When it comes to athletes in any sport, there’s a common question that resonates in all kinds of ways: Is it better to have someone who’s consistent in their play with few high/low spikes in performance, or is it wiser to take a risk on undeveloped talent in the hope that it all comes together at a higher level over time?
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This is the question the Denver Broncos currently face with cornerback Riley Moss.
Last season for Denver’s fifth-ranked defense in DVOA, Moss allowed 70 catches on 125 targets for 871 yards, 175 yards after the catch, seven touchdowns, one interception, 17 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 93.1. Including the postseason, the 2023 third-round pick out of Iowa logged 1,048 snaps as an outside cornerback, which made him Patrick Surtain’s primary bookend.
That’s not an easy role, as opposing quarterbacks aren’t exactly eager to test Surtain, one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks. Moss led the NFL in targets, passing yards allowed, and pass breakups, and he also allowed the league’s third-most first downs and touchdowns in coverage with a combined total of 40.
This is a primary reason that in 2025, the Broncos ranked third in Defensive DVOA when covering players charted as No. 1 receivers (-31.0%; Defensive DVOA is better when it’s negative), and 12th when covering No. 2 receivers (-6.8%). Per the FTN Football Almanac, the Broncos ranked second in the NFL in percentage of snaps last season in which the No. 1 cornerback (Surtain) covered the No. 1 receiver, so the difference in effectiveness is very much a Riley Moss story.
This is the dichotomy for Moss as he heads into his fourth season with the Broncos. Which version of the guy are you going to get from down to down?
Moss did have some impressive big plays against some of the NFL’s best receivers last season; when he’s shutting down the league’s top targets from time to time, it’s clear what the Broncos see in him.
Riley Moss’ good side: PBUs vs. Nico Collins, CeeDee Lamb, Alec PIerce, and Terry McLaurin. pic.twitter.com/Z9qoi23GJE
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— Doug Farrar (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 11, 2026
Most of Moss’ negative coverage reps don’t show him getting scorched by receivers in ways that would make you wonder what he’s doing in the NFL. But this NFL plays a game of milliseconds and millimeters, and the slightest mis-step can leave you in a Very Bad Place.
Riley Moss’ TBD coverage reps:
Missed it by that much. pic.twitter.com/WYuuUiXj8W
— Doug Farrar (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 11, 2026
Moss was also penalized eight times for pass interference last season, though some of those calls were… well, questionable. Two against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11 for 40 and 46 yards particularly rankled Broncos fans.
Moss is just trying to stay above it all.
“Listen, I will absolutely own up to the last one, the underthrown ball,” he said postgame. “I can’t be grabbing him [receiver Marquise Brown] like that. It’s tough. It’s already a tough position, and I have to be able to play the ball in those situations. In practice, it’s going to be a big emphasis. We are going to put the boxing gloves on me, we’re going to tape them up. It’s a repetitive thing. People can have their opinion on it, but as a professional athlete, I need to be able to realize that, okay, this has happened multiple times. Yes, it’s unfair sometimes, and it sucks. But I can’t be in that position as much as I have been. So that is something to work on.
“Again, everyone has their opinion. But as a competitor, and as an athlete, I have to own up to some of it and get better from it.”
This is a great overall mindset for Moss, as he’s improved overall from his rookie days, and the Broncos want to rely on him as they try to take their defense to even better places.
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This story was originally published July 14, 2026 at 4:45 AM.