Here is a list of wide receivers who have been targeted at least eight times in a game while catching every pass this season, as New Orleans Saints wide receiver Devaughn Vele did in Sunday’s 21-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins:

• Dallas WR George Pickens (nine catches, 146 yards on Nov. 23 against Philadelphia).

• Kansas City WR Rashee Rice (nine catches, 93 yards on Oct. 27 against Washington).

And now Vele makes it three.

The Saints finally got Vele involved in the offense, and it paid off. The 27-year-old, who New Orleans acquired in August from the Denver Broncos, finished with a stat line of eight catches for 93 yards and one touchdown — a score that gave the Saints a chance to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. Vele even recovered the ensuing onside kick, making a valuable special-teams contribution in addition to his impact on the offense.

What took so long?

“Obviously, his role has increased as we’ve made a few transactions,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said.

Those transactions included trading Rashid Shaheed and then releasing Brandin Cooks, freeing up Vele to take over as the starting “Z” receiver and not worrying about having to sub in and out. In the month since their departures, Vele leads the Saints’ skill players in snaps. Against the Dolphins, those snaps were rewarded with production.

The performance was the first time the Saints’ description of Vele matched the on-field product. When New Orleans gave up a 2026 fourth-round pick and 2027 seventh-round pick, Moore said the Saints were getting a big-bodied receiver who could make contested catches and help in the red zone.

Vele’s size was evident in Miami. On his touchdown catch, the 6-foot-5 wide receiver outmuscled Dolphins cornerback Jack Jones on the route and used his frame to haul in a soaring pass in the back of the end zone.

What changed? Moore said the Dolphins ran a lot of Cover 2, creating an opening for Vele to be found on in-breaking routes near the boundary — just as Shaheed used to be.

Beyond the advantageous matchup, the Saints hope that Sunday’s outing can get Vele going in part because of what the wideout was doing to get open.

“He’s super smart,” quarterback Tyler Shough said. “He has a great feel with his routes. I think he does a really good job. I was really proud of Devaughn just because I think he’s such a key player for us.”

Moore said Vele understands how each route affects the play as a whole. He noted the former 2024 seventh-round pick has no problem clearing out space for another target and can read where the holes in the coverage will be. Moore said he saw “hints” of Vele’s processing when evaluating his film from Denver, but he got a better appreciation of it when he started coaching him in New Orleans.

With the Broncos, Vele proved to be a trusty target for quarterback Bo Nix. Twenty-five of his 41 catches last season moved the chains, with 11 of 12 coming on third down. He also caught three touchdowns, all in the red zone. He left such an impact on Denver that coach Sean Payton called trading him one of the toughest deals of his career, openly wondering whether he’d regret the move in the same vein as when he shipped out Darren Sproles in New Orleans.

For most of the season, it was easy to wonder whether Payton’s high praise was simply a ploy to make his former team feel better about giving away multiple draft picks. Nothing about Vele’s nine catches for 91 yards and a touchdown in his first 10 games with the Saints suggested Payton had anything to have second doubts over.

But then the second half of Sunday happened. Vele’s production, which all came after halftime, wasn’t just the best outing as a Saint. It marked a personal best as well.

That doesn’t mean Vele was satisfied.

“I bring this up a lot, I’m a very competitive guy and at the end of the day I want to win games,” Vele said. “I’m grateful (that) I had a career day for myself, but at the end of the day, I want to win games.”

If he can keep contributing as he did against Miami, New Orleans will have a better chance to do just that.