Vance Joseph: Broncos Rookie CB Riley Moss was 'Awesome' vs. Vikings

Amid the turnover at cornerback and the position's early-season struggles, many Denver Broncos fans wondered why rookie third-rounder Riley Moss wasn't being utilized. While Moss started this season injured and unavailable, he's been healthy and dressed for the past seven games, dating back to that atrocity in Miami. 

After the 70-burger the Broncos relinquished to the Miami Dolphins, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph made a few changes to the secondary. Nickel corner Essang Bassey was demoted and replaced by Ja'Quan McMillian, while over the next few games, Damarri Mathis was slowly phased out in favor of veteran Fabian Moreau. Bassey was shortly thereafter waived. 

Those two tweaks made a huge difference in the Broncos' passing defense, minimizing the need to turn to the inexperienced Moss. However, in last week's victory over the Minnesota Vikings, Moss made his defensive debut when the Broncos deployed their dime unit, which typically includes four cornerbacks, and it seems Joseph couldn't have been more pleased. 

"He's getting better and better each week," Joseph said of Moss on Thursday. "He played some in dime last week. He is poised and he's smart. He's ready for more reps, so hopefully he gets more this week. But he was awesome last week. He played seven or eight reps in dime and he played well."

Moss finished with a solo tackle in a very limited sample size. Although Moss has never seemed like the type of young player who lacks confidence, head coach Sean Payton saw the rookie's Week 11 contributions and vital building blocks in that arena. 

“For all these young guys, you play, you gain confidence, then you’re ready to play more," Payton said. "You see growth, and sometimes, it’s quicker than others. It’s good to have him contributing. He’s extremely athletic and he’s smart.”

So what do we know about Moss? He's an Iowa product the Broncos selected with the No. 83 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. 

At 6-foot-0 and 193 pounds, Moss is a very physical presence on the boundary. The dude relishes tackling and sticking his nose in the muss in run support, and, despite NFL stereotypes, he can run. 

Moss ran the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in 4.45 seconds. That's faster than Courtland Sutton (4.54s) or ex-Broncos tight end Noah Fant (4.50s). Having the speed to keep up with modern receivers is not a problem. 

Moss loves to mix it up and he's a cerebral player. That football IQ comes out in the wash in a multitude of ways, including with his diagnosing of plays and getting in the head of opposing receivers. 

When the Broncos' 2023 draft class first showed up to Dove Valley for rookie minicamp, second-round wideout Marvin Mims Jr. shared his impressions of Moss, and suffice to say, the former Hawkeye made sure that his fellow draft classmate knew he was there. 

“That’s probably one of the first guys I talked to when I got here, Riley," Mims said back in may. "Great dude, obviously. Love him. We’ve known each other for just two days but just a great guy. Easy to have conversations with and out there, he’s going to make sure you feel him on the field. Even in walkthrough, he’s coming up and tapping me, all that stuff, so it’s great to have him out there.” 

It sounds like the Broncos' coaching staff is finally looking to get Moss more involved on defense. That involvement could be coming at an opportune time with the 7-3 Cleveland Browns and their prolific rushing attack coming to town on Sunday. 

McMillian has been an absolute revelation at the nickel. He's been a turnover magnet, good in coverage, and a reliable tackler. 

However, on the boundary opposite of Patrick Surtain II, Moreau hasn't been nearly as impressive, though he has been solid. It wouldn't be shocking to see the Broncos give Moss a few reps in their base package to help shore up their rushing defense with another physical presence on the boundary. 

"You have to be able to come up and make plays on the running back... You have to set the edge," Moss said back in May. "They’re going to pull some guards and some tackles at you... But you can’t be scared. You have to go and hit them in the mouth.”