The Denver Broncos are likely to be without their top defensive player, Pat Surtain II, for at least a brief amount of time, following the reigning Defensive Player of the Year suffering a strained pec on Sunday.
It’s a difficult injury for the team to deal with, but not one that can’t be overcome due to the depth on the roster. The team used its first-round pick on Jahdae Barron for situations such as this and there is plenty of confidence in Kris Abrams-Draine to step into a starting role as well.
Zach Allen on Abrams-Draine, who may be filling in for injured Surtain: “Kris is a stud. We saw it at the end of last year how well he played. The whole country saw him against the Chargers that Thursday night with that interception (off Herbert). We have full faith in Kris. He…
— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) October 27, 2025
But Riley Moss could actually get some pressure taken off his shoulders during this time. If you’ve watched Broncos games this season, you’ve likely noticed the opposing team throwing against Moss early and often. While teams shy away from Surtain’s side of the field, they zero in on Moss.
There are those who feel that Moss has played poorly as he leads the league in defensive pass interference calls, but he’s actually played quite well given the circumstances.
Former Hawkeye Riley Moss has been targeted more than any other DB in the NFL this season.
He’s been targeted 53 times, but his 45.3% completion percentage allowed is the best of any DB that has faced more than 22 targets.
79 players have faced 23+ targets. pic.twitter.com/zEXBXwRIRD
— Kyle Huesmann (@HuesmannKyle) October 27, 2025
Teams playing the Broncos while Surtain is out will likely look to spread the ball around more, and Moss can get a chance to regroup a little bit and build up even more confidence. It’s never a good thing when the best player on the roster goes down with injury, but the Broncos have quality depth behind Surtain and can use this time to get those players some great experience and make the collective unit even better as a whole.
READ: Broncos’ first-round pick selected as ‘most disappointing’ player this season
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