Ever since they released Michael Thomas back in March of 2024, the New Orleans Saints have been looking for their next big-body wide receiver. DeVaughn Vele, formerly of the Broncos, might end that search.
The Saints traded for Vele earlier this week, giving up a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 seventh in exchange. When asked about the price of the trade, head coach Kellen Moore said that's always the tricky part. "You identify players you really want, and then obviously there's a cost associated with it," Moore told the media."
Former Saints head coach and current Broncos head coach Sean Payton said that it was a difficult trade to make. "He (Vele) has all the things that we look for: discipline, structure, smarts, toughness, and talent," Payton told the media on Thursday. "He was fantastic when we visited him. He's going to be a really good player for them."
New Saints WR Devaughn Vele can be a key piece of the offense
Vele, who stands at 6'5", is far and away the tallest guy in the wide receiver room. The next tallest is Cedrick Wilson, who is 6'2'', but this trade may push him off the roster.
A seventh-round draft pick out of Utah in 2024, Vele has already had a ton of production in his career. "That's a rare thing to see a guy in his second year in the league with the production he had last year, with the big moments he had last year, we feel like we're adding a really big piece."
He played 13 games for the Denver Broncos in his rookie season. Targeted 55 times, Vele had 41 receptions for 475 yards and three touchdowns; he was the Broncos' third-leading receiver in 2024.
Some may question Vele's age. He'll turn 28 before the season is over, despite being in just his second year. This isn't a player who spent forever in college, though. Vele is also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Before walking on at Utah, he served a mission in Samoa. Keep that in mind when thinking about his literal age versus miles on his body.