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Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss.
There will certainly be excuses aplenty this offseason as to why Denver Broncos rookie cornerback and 2025 first round pick Jahdae Barron struggled in his first NFL season.
It will be something along the lines of Barron playing out of position at slot cornerback and that his true position is outside cornerback — you’ll probably hear that one a lot.
It’s an excuse we’ll all probably hear a lot on the way to the Broncos figuring out a way to trade starting cornerback Riley Moss to make room for Barron at outside cornerback, the position Moss has occupied the last 2 years, and will likely lead to the Broncos defense being worse off in the long run.
Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti put Moss at the top of the list of trade candidates for the Broncos this offseason following their 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
“Moss started all 17 games in 2025, and has now put together back-to-back strong seasons, especially as it pertains to stopping the running game,” Ginnitti wrote. “However it stands to reason that 2025 1st-round pick Jahdae Barron will be ready to step into his role going forward, putting Moss — who is entering a contract year in 2026 — on the outside looking in.”
Key to Trading Moss: Get Him Out of the AFC
Moss has operated at a high level playing across from 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and perennial All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II. It’s a thankless task few would be up for but Moss has continually shined in.
Never was Moss’ value more on display than when Surtain missed 3 games during the 2025 season with an injury to his pectoral muscle — a stretch in which Moss was pushed into the CB1 role and the Broncos went 3-0.
So, if the Broncos do trade Moss, the smartest thing to do would be to make sure he ends up in the NFC. It would be a nightmare to send him to another AFC team and have him come back to help beat the Broncos.
Bigger Problem: Barron Seems Like Bust
Trading Moss won’t fix the bigger problem with Barron, who looked completely lost as the Broncos tried to shoehorn him into the lineup at slot cornerback only to see him continually outplayed by an undrafted free agent in Ja’Quan McMillian, who made the defensive play of the year with his overtime interception against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round.
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz singled Barron out as Denver’s “Biggest Weakness” headed into the postseason, and specifically in regard to how Barron has struggled in his role as a nickelback covering slot wide receivers.
“Denver has one of the NFL’s best defenses this season, led by a vicious pass rush that leads the league in sacks (64),” Schatz wrote on December 31. “However, if opponents can get a pass off, they can take advantage of the Broncos’ slot cornerbacks, Ja’Quan McMillian and Jahdae Barron. Denver ranks only 27th in DVOA against passes to slot receivers, allowing 7.6 yards per attempt. The good news for the Broncos is that only two AFC playoff teams rank in the top 10 in the number of pass attempts to slot receivers this season: the Chargers and themselves.”
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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