As the second half of the offseason approaches, many members of the media are certain of the top three New Orleans Saints wide receivers. However, it might still be a bit too early to solidify Devaughn Vele in that group. Bryce Lance and Barion Brown could sneak into that spot.
For most of the season last year, Vele was practically silent, not really living up to the trade for him. He did have an insane end of the year, gathering 239 yards and one touchdown through 19 receptions in his final four games played. But again, that was most of his production that season, with 81.6% of it coming during that final stretch. If he really wants to justify the 2026 fourth and 2027 seventh round picks that the Saints gave up for him, he has to do more.
Was that his ceiling, or has the team just scratched the surface? Vele's production was so late in the year that there's a chance, or maybe a worry, that it could all be a smokescreen. He'll have to use the rest of the offseason, most importantly the joint practices in training camp, to get the third spot behind Chris Olave and Jordyn Tyson. It shouldn't be a guarantee for him, and given what the Saints did during the draft, they might not think so either.
Devaughn Vele will have some competition for the Saints' WR3 spot
People should honestly hold their horses with Vele and the WR3 position. Currently, there are two rookies who have the ability to take that role away from him. Most notably, fourth-rounder Bryce Lance, who was the first receiver in the history of NDSU with back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons. He's also one who's familiar with winning, earning back-to-back MVFC championships. That's a kind of mentality that's priceless, and luckily for him, it's already showing up on the practice field.
Sixth-round pick Barrion Brown has also shown his stuff. Initially thought to be a return specialist coming out of LSU, his performance in the offseason practices has raised eyebrows. That, combined with Kellen Moore's recent comments, has really paved his path to the wide receiving room. His speed and breakaway ability could really come in handy for the Saints, especially given his similarities to Rashid Shaheed.
Another set of voluntary OTAs is taking place as this article is being written, so the evaluation is already happening. Vele is clearly aware and is doing as much as he can to solidify his roster spot. Per Kellen Moore, he's served as the team's emergency holder on field goals on top of his receiving drills. "Yeah, he's held," A smiling Moore said to the media. "Shocker. Vele can do just about anything."
However, it gets more real during the mandatory minicamps on June 16-17, and that's not even the most intense part of the offseason. Training camp, which is currently set to start on July 29, is where the actual test will take place. The true WR3 should reveal himself there, and it should be exciting to find out who it is.
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