Former Iowa football player Riley Moss selected in by Denver Broncos in third round of 2023 NFL Draft
The defensive back was taken by the Broncos with the No. 83 overall pick Friday night.
Iowa defensive back Riley Moss signals an incompletion during a football game between Iowa and Nebraska at Kinnick Stadium on Friday, Nov. 25, 2022. Moss had four total tackles. The Huskers lead the Hawkeyes at halftime, 17-0.
April 28, 2023
Former Iowa defensive back Riley Moss is off to Denver.
The Broncos selected Moss with the 83rd overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft Friday night, and he will now be teammates with fellow former Hawkeye and Denver linebacker Josey Jewell.
The Ankeny, Iowa, product played in 54 games over five seasons in a Hawkeye uniform and started 40 of those contests, including every game in the last three years.
The Iowa high school record holder in the 110-meter hurdles racked up 158 tackles during his college football career along with two forced fumbles, 37 passes defended,11 interceptions, and three touchdowns.
NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein sees Moss as a player with a good feel for the game but mentioned injury concerns in his evaluation.
Moss ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash at the combine in March.
“An instinctive cornerback with good size and play strength,” Zierlein wrote. “Moss will need to prove he has the speed and durability needed for the next level. He has issues recovering quickly when beaten from press or at route breaks. Ballhawking instincts and soft hands are a big part of his game, as is his physicality at the catch point and as a tackler. He has CB3/4 potential in a zone-based defense, but could find reps at safety in the future if a team believes he has the frame for it.”
Moss was a first team All-Big Ten selection by league coaches in 2022 and a second team all-conference selection by league media and Associated Press.
In 2021, Moss was named the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year after reeling in four interceptions — just two behind Penn State’s Ji’Ayir Brown’s league-leading six. He also recorded two pick sixes — both in the season opener against Indiana. Moss was a first team All-America selection by Sporting News in 2021.
Moss is the fifth Iowa defensive back picked in the NFL Draft in the last five seasons. He’ll join the Giants’ Dane Belton, Bears’ Michael Ojrmudia, Ravens’ Geno Stone, and Titans’ Amani Hooker in the Sunday league.
Moss was a 2-star prospect out of high school, and the Hawkeyes were his only Power Five offer, according to 24/7.