Pat Surtain II's Injury Forces Major Shift in Broncos' CB Rotation

Riley Moss becomes the de facto No. 1 in the Denver Broncos' cornerback room with Patrick Surtain II sidelined. Who is the next man up, though?

Oct 6, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss (21) celebrates his interception in the second half against the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos losing Patrick Surtain II from the lineup really hurts. His absence will challenge the outstanding Broncos defense even more. 

No matter how long Surtain ends up being sidelined, the Broncos' other starting cornerback on the boundary, Riley Moss, is already used to the spotlight as he becomes the team's de facto No. 1 in the absence of the All-Pro. Against the Dallas Cowboys' outstanding wide receiver duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, Moss was proud of how the Broncos' secondary held up on Sunday and in recent weeks. 

Kris Abrams-Draine was thrust into the second-half lineup vs. the Cowboys, while rookie Jahdae Barron notched his first interception. Ja'Quan McMillian will continue to hold up at the nickel.

“It's exciting. It's a good confidence booster for not only me, but for ‘KD’ [Abrams-Draine] coming in there late for Pat, for ‘Jmac’ (Mn McMillian), for our back end," Moss said on Sunday. "We've gone against probably three of the best receiving corps in the NFL—in Philly, in Cincinnati, and then now the Cowboys—and we've handled our business. That's exciting.” 

Moss now becomes the anointed leader in a very skilled Denver cornerback room. They're very young, but they play with bona fide swagger. 

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K.A.D. Reporting for Duty

Dec 19, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine (31) intercepts a pass for Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Joshua Palmer (5) in the end zone in the first half at SoFi Stadium. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Abrams-Draine will likely be entrusted with the job of picking up the Surtain slack moving forward — no small challenge considering how teams target the feisty Moss on a weekly basis. 

While throwing Abrams-Draine into the deep end has been forced on the Broncos due to Surtain's unfortunate pec injury, head coach Sean Payton really liked what he saw during the second half when the second-year quarterback took over his responsibilities against Dallas' George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb.

“I think how we played was outstanding when he [Surtain] wasn’t in," Payton said. "That’s a big deal, especially when a large part of your plan is dealing with rotation and matchups and you’re dealing with [No.] 3 [Pickens] and [No.] 88 [Lamb]. Then all of a sudden that one element goes away, it can be a little bit disruptive. I thought Kris did a great job. The whole lot of them did when we went without Pat."

When defensive coordinator Vance Joseph threw a few different coverages at his young secondary, they held up and communication stayed on point.

"We continued to play a handful of the coverages, and yet Vance did a good job adjusting," Payton said. "So that was very encouraging.” 

Don't Worry About Barron

Abrams-Draine stepping up to the plate might surprise some fans, particularly because the first-rounder, Barron, is also in the mix for increased playing time on this stellar defense. Barron made his first professional pick on Sunday, but inside linebacker and team captain Alex Singleton suggested the rookie is on a more incremental trajectory right now.

“I think the best thing for him is you get to be a first-round pick, but you also get to come to a defense like ours," Singleton said on Sunday of Barron's learning curve. "He gets time to learn and just gets put in certain packages to just kind of develop his game, and today made a huge play.” 

Some may suggest that the Broncos over-drafted Barron, simply because he's not the guy the coaches are turning to in relief of Surtain. Bringing players along more slowly and methodically is a Payton hallmark, and it worked with Moss and now with Abrams-Draine, as he prepares to crack the starting lineup against the Houston Texans. 

It all speaks to Payton's confidence in what his rookies and relatively inexperienced players can do when the flak is flying. 

“To answer your second question, I think it’s vital," Payton said about breaking in new talent. "The transition period, you don’t have two or three years to wait for their progress, and it was a game where we saw a lot of young players step up and make plays. I think we have to continue to play them, and that whole thing about confidence. When a guy has a play or has a game and he’s young in our league and has success, then you can kind of see it propel him very quickly. But I do think it’s important that the contributions are coming not just from the veteran players but also the young players that we feel like are ready to play.” 

As always, the gruelling 17-game season will thoroughly test the physical and mental toughness of the Broncos' entire roster from top to bottom. Moss' mental strength and ever-positive demeanor set a tone for the likes of Abrams-Draine when he picks up the competitive gauntlet from the sidelined Surtain.