There aren’t many white cornerbacks in the NFL and that’s been the case throughout league history. But on Sunday, when the Denver Broncos square off against the Seattle Seahawks, one of them — Riley Moss — is going to start.
Moss, a third-round pick of the Broncos in the 2023 NFL Draft, had a stellar colligate career at Iowa, earning two First-Team All-Big Ten honors while being named Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year in 2021. However, his professional career has gotten off to a rockier start.
The 24-year-old Moss missed time early in his rookie campaign after undergoing a procedure during training camp and then saw sporadic usage in 14 regular season games. He took just 23 defensive snaps, recording six tackles. But he’s healthy now, ready for a larger role, and eager to face the challenges he knows are coming his way.
Broncos CB Riley Moss, poised to make his first NFL regular-season start on Sunday, knows the Seahawks might throw at him — and he welcomes it.
"My first start at Iowa. I went out there and I got three deep bombs like first drive, and ended up with two picks that day. … You… pic.twitter.com/qrdDtNFllG
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) September 6, 2024
“My first start at Iowa… I went out there and I got three deep bombs like (on the) first drive, and ended up with two picks that day,” Moss told reporters. “It’s a thing, you know it’s going to happen. I hope it’s going to happen, and I’m ready to make a play.”
Unlike a season ago, Moss is healthy and has a full training camp under his belt for the first time. He’s more comfortable in the defense and more confident in his role.
“Being able to go through a whole training camp and learn and grow as a player has helped me immensely,” he said, via the Broncos’ official website. “Obviously, (I) started behind the eight ball but just being able to grow and learn last year, and then this year (the) offseason hit and that was a huge motivator. Now that it’s here, (the) goals grow a little bit more.”
Moss will be one of just three white cornerbacks on the field in Week 1, joining Cooper DeJean of the Philadelphia Eagles and Ethan Bonner of the Miami Dolphins.
