The New Orleans Saints needed another playmaker for their offense, so they called old friend Sean Payton to make a deal.
The Saints have traded for wide receiver Devaughn Vele, a 7th-round pick by the Denver Broncos in the 2024 NFL Draft who wound up playing a significant role for them as a rookie. Vele became a key piece of an offense in Denver that surprised just about everybody, ranking 10th in the league in points scored.
Vele himself added 41 receptions with three touchdowns, 26 of his catches moving the chains. He was so impressive in the Broncos' training camp and preseason that he wound up with eight catches on eight targets in the first game of the year. But was trading for him the right move for the Saints?
Saints win bidding war for Broncos wide receiver Devaughn Vele
The Saints paid a hefty price to get Vele off the Broncos' hands. They gave up a 4th-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft (their own) as well as a 7th-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Giving up multiple picks for Vele is a pretty questionable move overall, but of course, it'll be all up to Vele to make the investment worthwhile.
Vele was not really on the radar of many teams going into the 2024 NFL Draft because he was a secondary target at Utah and was 26 years old as a rookie. Now, he's 27 and will be 28 in December. The Broncos obviously felt good enough about their receiver depth to trade the guy who was third on the team in targets last season, but the long-term upside with Vele is obviously slightly limited due to his age.
At 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, Vele is athletic with a great catch radius and the ability to make plays after the catch. He does a great job of finding soft spots in coverage and can work the sidelines really well with his footwork and body control.
The Saints obviously felt like their receiver room wasn't where it needed to be with a young quarterback set to lead the franchise this season, and Vele was obviously a big help to Bo Nix on the Broncos last year. The price to add him was high because there were other teams in competition with the Saints to get him, including the San Francisco 49ers.
Interestingly enough, the Saints will host the Broncos for the final preseason game here before the games start meaning something. It's highly unlikely Vele will play in that game, but for a player Sean Payton has compared to Marques Colston in the past, there's a great opportunity in front of him to be part of rebuilding this franchise.