Broncos roster review: Cornerback Riley Moss

After a rookie year that was derailed due to a sports hernia/core injury, Riley Moss was looking to rebound in year two with the Broncos. He entered camp in a competition to be the Broncos' starting cornerback opposite Pat Surtain II and performed well. In the end, he was named the Broncos' starting cornerback and would be getting his first career start in the NFL in Week 1 against the Seahawks.

Early on in the season, Moss played well. He was getting extra attention from offenses due to teams shying away from going after Surtain II, but he held up well. He would get his first career interception vs. the Raiders in week 5 and was a big part of the rising Denver Broncos defense. However, a knee injury vs. the Raiders would end up costing Moss four weeks and three games and slow the momentum he was building during the season.

He would return in a key week 17 game vs. the Bengals with a postseason berth on the line and face their high-powered passing attack led by Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins. Unfortunately for Moss and the Broncos, he would be a bit rusty, and the Bengals took advantage of that. Wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins both had big games, and Moss was targeted 14 times while allowing 12 receptions for 118 yards and 2 touchdowns while in coverage. This soured what was a solid first year starting for Moss and had some people questioning if he was a liability in the Broncos' secondary.

Moss entered the offseason fully healthy and looking to rebound from his poor performance against the Bengals. Many did not expect the Broncos to add much to their cornerback room during the offseason, but they did just that during the 2025 NFL Draft. In the first round, with their 20th overall selection, the Broncos selected Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron. This selection put every cornerback not named Pat Surtain II on alert because the talented rookie could quickly take someone's job.

With that said, Moss is still expected to start despite the addition of Barron, but he could still see his role impacted by him. Either way, Moss is expected to be a part of the Broncos' starting defense this year, and the team needs him to bounce back from his performance late in the year vs. the Bengals.

Player Profile

Height: 6-0

Weight: 193 pounds

Age: 25 years old

Experience: 3rd NFL season

2024 stats: Moss started and played in 14 games and totaled 86 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 interception, 8 pass deflections, and 1 forced fumble

Broncos CB Riley Moss’s 2025 Outlook

He is expected to start, but will he be CB2 or CB3? This all depends on the growth and development of Broncos rookie cornerback Jahdae Barron. Head Coach Sean Payton has noted that Barron is an inside and outside corner and not just a slot-only corner, as some expected. This means Barron has an opportunity to push Moss for the CB2 job and replace him in two cornerback packages.

Now, most defenses in the NFL are nickel/sub-packages now, so that is not a huge deal, but something to watch this summer. Either way, Moss is expected to be a starter and key member of the Broncos' secondary.

Reigning AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II is going to lock down whoever he is covering, and if Barron lives up to expectations, he could be a lockdown guy as well. This means teams are going to test Moss early and often throughout the year. They did this last season, and he held up fairly well for the most part prior to injury, but did struggle at times. How well he plays will decide how good this Broncos secondary can be this upcoming season.

If he does struggle, he has second-year corner Kris Abrams-Draine, who played well while Moss was sidelined, waiting in the wings. While I do not anticipate Moss losing his starting job to Abrams-Draine in camp, I totally wouldn't rule it out either.

So, this is a big summer and an upcoming season for Moss. He only has 14 career starts under his belt through two seasons, so he is still learning and developing. Hopefully, we can see more of the Moss that we saw early in the year instead of the one we saw vs. the Bengals.

Final Thoughts

The Broncos' secondary has a chance to be special. You have Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II, exciting rookie Jahdae Barron, Riley Moss, Brandon Jones, newly signed Talanoa Hufanga, and some exciting depth behind these guys. However, Moss will ultimately decide just how good the Broncos' secondary will be.

If he can be good, the Broncos' cornerback room and their secondary can be elite. However, if he becomes a liability, teams are going to target him consistently every week. With that said, Moss really wasn’t a liability for most of last season. Obviously, there was the Bengals game, and he had a tough one vs. the Ravens, but overall, he was solid. If he can improve from last year, be a little more consistent, and not be the weak point in the secondary, this defense could be dangerous.

I am confident we’ll see Moss bounce back and have high hopes for this defense, but there will be a lot of pressure and attention on him regardless. Hopefully, he handles it all well and silences any and all of the doubters out there.