The New Orleans Saints trade for Devaughn Vele has been a complete bust so far this year. Trading a 2026 fourth round pick and 2027 seventh round pick for Vele was viewed as a high price at the time and nothing has justified the trade. However, all of that is set to change as Vele is in-line for more snaps after the Saints shipped off Rashid Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks. Kellen Moore reassured fans of this in his presser on Tuesday.
The problem with Vele is a mix of an alarmingly low snap count and a lack of production. Vele has five receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown in 2025. He only played 29% of the offensive snaps in the Saints week nine loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Moore said Vele would have a “healthy role” and be “very involved” in the offense for the rest of the year. He would give the Saints a dimension to their offense that’s been vacant ever since Michael Thomas got released.
Devaughn Vele needs to establish himself as the go-to contested catch option
There was an absence of a contested catch receiver going into the year so trading for Vele made sense at the time. The closest the Saints had was Juwan Johnson, who has had an extremely inconsistent season. Vele needs to take advantage of his increased opportunity and be a reliable threat for rookie quarterback Tyler Shough.
Two of Shough’s biggest issues in college were his struggles under pressure and inconsistency in the redzone. Vele can play a major role in helping him improve in both of those areas by being a contested catch threat. Shough needs someone he can throw a 50/50 ball to while under duress; the 6’5” receiver will thrive in that position.
It’s always tough to lose a star receiver like Rashid Shaheed, but Vele may fit this offense better. The Saints already have Chris Olave, Brandin Cooks, and even Trey Palmer when he returns off IR to be the deep threats. Vele fills a different role that will elevate the offense if used correctly.
The time may finally be coming for Devaughn Vele to consistently see the field. He’s been relatively invisible after the Saints traded for him this offseason, but he fits what Tyler Shough needs to develop. Watch out for Vele to start making in impact in future weeks.