Why Riley Moss' emergence is a "big deal" for the Denver Broncos

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Since Peyton Manning retired following Super Bowl 50, the Denver Broncos have had a very public quarterback carousel.

Because of how public their quarterback carousel has been for nearly a decade, the Broncos’ cornerback carousel has flown under the radar. But the team has very much had a cornerback carousel too.

Once Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. were separated in 2018, the Broncos haven’t been able to find a steady duo since. That appears to have changed in a big way.

“That’s huge for us,” Vance Joseph said, when asked about the emergence of Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian opposite Pat Surtain II. “Obviously Pat is one of the best in the league. You can gameplan through Pat’s skill set, but to have two other guys who can hold their own, and you can close the middle and play man or play fire-zone with no worries, that’s a big deal.”

McMillian emerged as one of the league’s most impactful nickel cornerbacks last season. This year, Moss has emerged as one of the best young cornerbacks in the league early on in the season. That’s a game-changer for Joseph’s defense.

“Most good defenses have corners who can cover,” the defensive coordinator said, stating the importance of having multiple good cornerbacks. “You can close the middle without worrying about giving up a big play. That’s half the battle of being a good defense.”

Moss is only in his second year in the NFL and still very much learning as all three of his career starts have come this season.

“He’s still a young player. Every week we kind of figure out what he doesn’t know, but it’s happening on Wednesday, Thursday and he fixes it before Saturday,” Joseph added. “He’s still young. He’s playing good, solid football, but every week I’m reminded of how young he is. In practice, it’s like, ‘OK, what was that, Riley?’ But he’s a baby. He’s still figuring it out, and it’s organic and it’s honest every week for him. It’s been fun to watch his progress, and he’ll get better and better each week.”

That’s precisely what’s happened too. In the first three weeks of the season, Moss has been better and better each week. In fact, Pro Football Focus named Moss the best cornerback in Week 3 in the entire NFL.

“Obviously I’m proud of what he has done,” Joseph said about the young cornerback on Thursday.

Just as the Broncos believe Bo Nix will stop their quarterback carousel, the team believes Riley Moss and Pat Surtain are their answers to their cornerback carousel.