Riley Moss NFL Draft Overview
Position: Cornerback
Height: 6′-1″
Weight: 194 pounds
School: Iowa
2023 NFL Draft: Riley Moss Scouting Report
Riley Moss appeared in seven games during his first season in Iowa City, recording 24 tackles (20 solo, four assisted), two interceptions, and three passes defended against. In his second season in the Hawkeye State, Moss only appeared in four games but did have a total of 26 tackles (16 solo, 10 assisted), a fumble recovery, and an interception, to go along with two passes defended against.
During his third season, (The Covid-19 shortened 2020 season), Moss played all eight of the games the Hawkeyes had that year. Moss had 43 total tackles (33 solo, 10 assisted), two interceptions, including one for a touchdown, and four passes defended against. For the second time in his college career, Moss missed time due to injury, playing in 11 of 14 games, in his fourth season in Iowa City. He did make 41 total tackles (29 solo, 12 assisted), while also recovering and forcing a fumble, and having two interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns while also defending against eight passes. In his final season in 2022 with the Hawkeyes, Moss played in all 13 games, had 29 tackles (19 solo, 10 assisted), and had a career-high 14 passes, defended against.
Strengths
- Has 11 career interceptions, including three returned for touchdowns;
- Effective communicator on the field, when in zone coverage;
- Great reactionary ability on the ball from the throw, to point of breaking on the ball;
- Hard hitter; very physical;
- Maintains advantageous body positioning, when working against a receiver.
Weaknesses
- Over-commits on fakes/stop-and-go routes; gets beat;
- Does not have make-up speed to catch up to the receiver, once beaten;
- Needs to work on turning his head around to look for the ball; accrues a lot of PI penalties;
- Defense against the run is shoddy;
- Has missed time due to injuries, while at Iowa.
NFL Comparison: Nate Hobbs
Teams With Need At Position: Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Washington Commanders
Projection: Rounds 4-5
Bottom Line on Riley Moss
Riley Moss put together a pretty solid career at the University of Iowa. He has the capability to be an interception machine and is a leader on defense, especially zone defense when communicating with one’s teammates is an integral part of success. Moss has the ability to react and break on a ball to jump our route with consistent success. He is a very physical cornerback, who hits more like a safety. He also is able to stay with his receiver throughout the duration of their route.
Moss will no doubt have an opportunity to be an every-game NFL player with the types of qualities he possesses. Teams may be cautious about taking him in the upcoming draft because he has the propensity to bite on fakes and get beat easily by his receiver. Additionally, if he gets beat by a receiver he does not have the speed to make up the lost ground. Moss frequently does not make an effort to get his head around to see where the ball is, a skill he must refine if he is going to be a regular player in the NFL.
While his skills against the pass are pretty proficient, his defense against the run leaves something to be desired. Teams may also be scared off by his history of injuries while at the University of Iowa, which caused him to miss significant time in two separate seasons. Moss’s strengths outweigh his weaknesses, which will induce a team to use a pick on him in rounds four or five, later this month.
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