Broncos CB Riley Moss loves the ‘challenge’ of lining up opposite of Pat Surtain II

Riley Moss arguably had the biggest challenge of any cornerback in the NFL last season — lining up on the opposite side of the field as Pat Surtain II, the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. Since any smart quarterback knew better than to test Surtain on one side of the gridiron, their eyes shifted to the other side where they saw the young corner out of Iowa.

While Moss might not have had the flashy interceptions and pass deflections that Surtain had, he still showed that he could be sticky in pass coverage at times. In all of his coverage snaps a season ago, Moss allowed just an average of 2.2 yards of separation between himself and the opposing receiver, the third-best mark in the league among corners that played at least 375 snaps, according to Next Gen Stats.

The ball came his way a lot, but Moss made it a challenge for quarterbacks to find a good window to throw. After Broncos training camp practice on Wednesday, the 25-year-old talked about his thoughts on lining up opposite of Surtain and being targeted more often.

“As long as I’m across from, you know, D-P-O-Y, it’s going to be like that, and I love the challenge. It makes it fun, you know? It makes it fun to come into work knowing, ‘It’s on me, I’m going to be on an island, and what can I do?’ And that’s what I think makes this game so beautiful, and why I love the position that I’m in,” Moss said.

Moss finished the 2024 season with 86 total tackles, one interception and eight pass deflections. He also had a forced and recovered fumble.

If anyone needed a reminder as to how sticky he could be, just take a look at his first career interception against the Raiders last season.

Related

Broncos to face Chiefs in Week 1 on Monday Night FootballWhat ‘way-too-early’ mock drafts say about the Broncos’ 2026 outlookBroncos legend Craig Morton, who led team to first Super Bowl appearance, dies at 83Broncos sign former Browns receiver Mike Woods II after minicamp tryoutBroncos learning why Jonah Coleman could be a perfect fit — both on and off the fieldBroncos Rookie Minicamp Report: It isn’t just rookies who catch Sean Payton’s eye

That first career INT feeling 🤩 @R_moss5

📺: #LVvsDEN on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/xP7lZAN0Zs

— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2024

While having Surtain on the other side of the field can be a challenge during games, it’s also a blessing for Moss during practice because he can learn so much from the talented Surtain.

“I learned a lot from Pat in terms of staying square at the line [and] being physical, at the line being patient,” Moss said.

Surtain is the best in the game at combining size and physicality with quickness and technique, and this clip from the 2022 season shows all of his skillsets in one rep. He’s only gotten better since this, too.

Patrick Surtain II is so smooth in coverage, it’s art. He’s a physical corner that plays with patience, trusts his technique and shows up in run support. Surtain is arguably the best cornerback in the NFL right now and he’s only 22 years old. pic.twitter.com/hrxgNZYTv4

— Kendell Hollowell (@KHollowell_) March 31, 2023

Given that Surtain is the guy Moss is learning from in practice every single day, he could be poised for a breakout year. Remember, he’s been fighting the injury bug a lot throughout his first two seasons, so if he can stay healthy throughout camp and the rest of the season, he could show people that the Broncos don’t only have one solid corner.

Not everyone in this league wants a big-time challenge like what Moss is faced with every Sunday. Some guys just want to get their contract and play a little bit of football and not work super hard. This message from Moss shows Broncos Country that they have a guy who’s willing to take on the toughest of challenges and make himself better every day for the greater good of the team.