Rising star's absence vs Browns proves Broncos hit a home run in 2023 NFL Draft

If there was any doubt before, there isn't anymore. The Denver Broncos have a rising star on their hands in cornerback Riley Moss, and it couldn't have been clearer on Monday Night Football against the Cleveland Browns as Jameis Winston threw for nearly 500 yards and former Broncos 1st-round pick Jerry Jeudy went off for 235 yards and a touchdown.

The Denver Broncos terribly missed the other half of their starting duo with Pat Surtain II.

Moss has been sensational this season for the Broncos and he went down against the Las Vegas Raiders with a PCL injury in his knee. Head coach Sean Payton said that there was some thought given to the idea of putting Moss back in the game against the Raiders, but he proceeded to miss every day of practice this past week before not playing on Monday night.

And to say his absence was noticeable would be the understatement of the year.

Broncos missed Riley Moss desperately in win vs. Browns on Monday night

I mean, those numbers kind of just say it all, don't they?

In particular, it was tough watching the Cleveland Browns just go after Broncos cornerback Levi Wallace one play after another. Wallace, a veteran in the NFL, just didn't have the speed or quickness to keep up with Jeudy, or anyone he was lined up against on Monday night. It was tough to watch.

Wallace's play had just about every member of Broncos Country with a Twitter/X account sending their well-wishes to Riley Moss, which brings up a broader subject: The Broncos absolutely nailed the Riley Moss pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

There was a lot of pushback for that selection when it was initially made, and for a variety of reasons. First of all, Moss was not ranked as high on the consensus big boards. He was not projected to go 83rd overall in many of the mock draft projections.

Second, the Broncos traded up to get Moss. They traded a future 3rd-round pick to move up and get him, and that was considered a rather steep price.

Third, many NFL Draft analysts and pundits didn't view Moss as an NFL cornerback because, frankly, there were no other white cornerbacks in the NFL at the time. He was viewed as a player who would transition from cornerback at Iowa to safety in the NFL, but he's a legitimate rising star at the cornerback position.

And as skeptical as the fan base was about Moss going into this year as the presumptive #2 cornerback opposite Pat Surtain II, I think everyone is equally as excited to have him back out there on the field as soon as possible, hopefully when the Broncos play the Colts coming out of the bye week.