Vele, a big-bodied wideout, joins New Orleans Saints after a trade with Denver Broncos
For a change, the New Orleans Saints are taking a player from former coach Sean Payton instead of the other way around. On Wednesday afternoon, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football was the first to report that the Saints have agreed to a trade to acquire wide receiver Devaughn Vele from the Denver Broncos. In exchange for Vele, New Orleans traded a 2026 fourth-round draft choice and a 2027 seventh-round pick.
Vele, a 27-year-old wideout, was a Round 7 pick in the 2024 NFL draft out of Utah. He made the team as a rookie and appeared in 13 games with seven starts, appearing in 53% of Denver’s offensive snaps. Vele had 41 receptions in 55 targets for 475 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 26 receptions resulting in a first down. He finished third on the Broncos in targets, catches, and receiving yardage.
In his last three seasons of a five-year career at Utah, Vele had 121 catches for 1,677 yards and 9 scores. His best year for the Utes was 2022, when he had 55 receptions for 695 yards and finished second on the team in both categories. Vele had 43 catches for 593 yards as a senior in 2023, leading Utah in both categories.
At 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, Vele also brings exactly what New Orleans doesn’t have — a big-bodied wideout they can trust on third down. He’ll compete for a spot at an extremely thin receiver unit behind projected starters Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. Devaughn Vele will see his former team when the Saints host Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos this Saturday in the preseason finale.