This CB from the University of Iowa is making his splash as the 83rd overall pick.

With the 83rd pick overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos welcome University of Iowa cornerback Riley Moss, who hopes to contribute with the skillsets he’s been able to develop over the years.

“Playing in the Big Ten, you have to be a physical DB. You have to come up and make tackles,” Moss shared, describing the skillset he brings to the game, “I think I’m a physical player. I think I’m instinctive, and I’m just a ballplayer all around. I’m Excited that the Broncos gave me an opportunity.”

One key person in Moss’ development as a player was Phil Parker, Iowa’s Defensive Coordinator/Secondary Coach. Moss credits Parker with teaching the CB how to really understand the different elements of the game.

“Coach Parker does a great job of teaching football,” he explained, “He obviously makes you a better defensive back, but learning how to watch film, learning tendencies and little things that a lot of people overlook can be very helpful and can be an edge. That’s something that I’ve learned from Coach Parker.”

“His approach to every day, being physical, being tough, being resilient and being mentally strong,” Moss continued, “Those are all things that he teaches every day.”

The respect that Moss has for his coaching staff in Iowa also carries over to the way he views Denver’s own coaching staff, especially on the secondary.

“I like that entire defensive staff. Obviously, they’ve got a great defense in Denver,” he shared, “That’s what excited me about being able to visit them for my Top-30 visit because I love being a part of a defense where everyone does their job, everyone knows what they’re doing, and they fly around and make plays. That’s exactly what Denver does. I’m excited to be a part of that.”

Unsurprisingly, the corner is also very familiar with the Broncos’ defensive players, including safety Justin Simmons and fellow cornerback Pat Surtain II. He hopes to learn from them in the coming year.

“The biggest thing that I think is important to me is being able to learn from these guys who have been in the league and understand why they do the things they do,” he said.

Moss didn’t expect for the Broncos to trade back into the third round so they could draft him 83rd overall, and he described that as “an honor.”

“It’s an honor. To be honest with you, me and my family—our approach to this whole process and the whole draft was I’m blessed to be in a position where I can get drafted” he admitted, adding that the round he went in or the pick didn’t matter to him.

“It was all just God’s blessing. We weren’t getting our hopes up, but it’s really cool that they had that confidence in me to trade up. I’m excited to get there and start rolling.”

Asked about the aspect of his game that he’s most proud of, the corner revealed that he sees himself as an instinctive and tough player.

“I think that’s the biggest thing [instinct]. That’s one of those things where not everyone has that. I think you just are born with it,” he explained, “In Iowa, our practices were tough. We’d tackle three or four times a week. I’m used to that part, and I think that’s a big part of my game as well.”