Go Iowa Awesome – So You’ve Drafted Riley Moss: A New Team’s Guide

So you are the Denver Broncos, and you’ve got drafted Iowa cornerback Riley Moss! Congratulations on this 83rd decide of the 2023 NFL Draft. You are positive to have questions, and we right here at Go Iowa Superior are right here to reply them for you.

We all know what you are pondering, and sure, it is true: a cornerback who’s… from the state of Iowa.

That was absolutely what you have been pondering, proper?

Moss has been one of the crucial fascinating growth tales of the Hawkeye secondary below head coach Kirk Ferentz — and possibly even no matter place. Moss got here in as a flippantly recruited prospect from Ankeny, Iowa — a suburb of Des Moines — and albeit seemed a bit over his head as an underclassman in restricted snaps. To his credit score he by no means performed scared, however success (in each protection and tackling) was a bit robust to return by early.

But Moss saved incomes his method onto the sphere, drawing robust assignments, and developed into one of the crucial feared cornerbacks within the Large Ten. Moss was a two-time First Workforce All-Large Ten defensive again, together with profitable the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Again of the 12 months Award in 2021 en path to a third-team All-American nod. His manufacturing and particular person accolades slipped a bit in 2022, however at no discernible value to the Iowa protection.

Moss has the dimensions to battle with most NFL receivers at 6’1″ and 193 kilos, and that is with a great deal of sizing up and toughening up by way of his profession. He is gone from bouncing off greater operating backs as a freshman to being a real asset in run assist when he is capable of assault downhill, and he’ll pop pads with out hesitation if given a free shot.

His ball-tracking expertise are sensational, and he’ll punish an errant throw made his method. Moss’ palms have been among the many surest within the Iowa secondary throughout his profession, as have been his open area expertise. Moss took 3 of his 11 profession interceptions again for touchdowns, and with NFL down-by-contact guidelines, he might spring a return off an athletic play that he may not have been capable of at Iowa.

In truth, many pundits have steered Moss’ extra pure place within the NFL is perhaps security* for that purpose — he is at his finest when he can play “centerfield” on a deep, looping throw, and can often observe his approach to his spot in addition to the receiver, if not higher.

*Value noting right here that, in reality, most Iowa cornerbacks find yourself at security within the NFL resulting from their protection roles in coordinator Phil Parker‘s base protection.

Moss is healthier at contesting the catch than contesting the route, and he could discover himself challenged in press protection or within the slot by bodily receivers.

Moreover, Moss will merely see fewer disastrous throws on the subsequent degree than he did in faculty, and it is more durable to punish errors when the quarterbacks aren’t making them anymore. Lots of Moss’ highlights above are alternatives that may nearly by no means occur on the professional degree.

In truth, by the tip of 2022, Moss was a neater cornerback to throw towards than teammate Cooper DeJean. It helps that DeJean is already sensationally good, however Moss did quit some performs in 1-on-1 conditions when the ball was well-placed.

Moss should discover methods to be productive — which is to say, disruptive — towards good throws and good receivers.

If Moss works his method into the beginning lineup — or no matter permutations of the secondary rotation that get him onto the sphere for greater than 50% of the snaps — then this was a draft decide effectively price making.

As talked about earlier than, it isn’t totally clear if Moss tasks higher as a cornerback or security — but when he can flip that ambiguity into versatility, he’ll be much more worthwhile within the Bronco secondary, and nearly definitely faster onto the sphere as he develops.

Moss had a fast stretch the place he embraced a — and actually this does not really feel unfair to say — dirtbag aesthetic. Perhaps he had simply watched Season 3 or 4 of Stranger Issues and embraced his internal Billy, who’s to say. However should you Bronco followers play your playing cards proper, this look would possibly simply come again to the secondary room:

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