Broncos trade Devaughn Vele to Saints for pair of draft picks

Luca Evans, The Denver Post on Aug 20, 2025

Published in Football

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DENVER — One of the Broncos’ breakout receivers in 2024 is heading elsewhere just a couple of weeks before the start of their season.

On Wednesday, the Broncos announced that they traded second-year receiver Devaughn Vele to the New Orleans Saints for a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick. It brings an abrupt end to the 27-year-old Vele’s tenure in Denver, as the Broncos get back two pieces of draft capital for their seventh-round pick in 2024.

Vele established himself as a key piece for quarterback Bo Nix as a rookie last season, primarily working from the slot and catching 41 passes for 475 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games. He fit head coach Sean Payton’s mold for an ideal receiver to a T: large frame at 6-foot-5, strong hands, good physicality in traffic.

“He’s got a lot of versatility,” offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said of Vele Wednesday. “He’s big, he can run, good route-runner. And, so, he’s a guy that you can plug in a lot of spots. Smart, so he can play all the positions, so that’s very helpful.”

The Broncos added a significant piece to their room in April’s draft, however, with similarly-skilled third-round pick Pat Bryant. And Denver’s showing clear faith in its depth at receiver, with the evolutions of young wideouts Marvin Mims Jr. and Troy Franklin, in sending Vele to New Orleans.

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