The Denver Broncos traded away a notable name on Wednesday, sending Devaughn Vele to the New Orleans Saints for two Day 3 draft picks.
The trade comes as testament to the Broncos‘ improved depth in the past few seasons under Sean Payton as Vele was a real contributor last year, and he was obviously on the outside looking in at this year’s roster.
The 27-year-old seventh-rounder a year ago caught the third-most passes on the Broncos last year behind Courtland Sutton.
Vele’s rookie season saw him play 13 games for Denver, making 41 catches for 475 yards and three touchdowns.
So the Broncos got a strong year out of a seventh-rounder, then flipped him for a 2026 fourth and 2027 seventh round pick. That’s a strong addition to the team’s assets by George Paton.
Taking Vele’s job will be some combination of Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant and Trent Sherfield. Alongside Sutton and tight end Evan Engram, those will be Bo Nix’s top targets in his second year.
Vele, who has drawn Marques Colston comparisons, goes from playing for his coach Payton to playing on his old team in the Saints. In New Orleans, he’ll be catching passes from two unproven quarterbacks as the team has yet to name a starter.
We’ve agreed to terms on a trade with the New Orleans Saints for a 2026 fourth-round pick and 2027 seventh-round pick in exchange for WR Devaughn Vele.
📰 » https://t.co/f3HbrhaB9c pic.twitter.com/4vHeFKTcYv
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 20, 2025
