Football can be cold. One day you’re a seventh-round success story making plays in the Mile High City, and the next, you’re packing a bag for the Big Easy because the "numbers game" finally caught up to you. That’s exactly what happened when the Broncos trade Vele to Saints became official, a move that sent ripple effects through both fanbases just as the 2025 preseason was hitting its fever pitch.
Honestly, it caught a lot of us off guard. Devaughn Vele wasn't just some camp body. He was a guy who, as a rookie, stepped onto an NFL field and looked like he belonged. He put up 41 catches for 475 yards and three scores in 2024. For a 235th overall pick, that’s basically hitting a home run. Yet, Sean Payton and the Denver front office decided to flip him to New Orleans for a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-rounder.
It feels like a classic "sell high" move, but did Denver give up too early on a guy with a 6-foot-5 frame?
The Logjam in Denver: Why Vele Became Expendable
You’ve gotta look at the room. Denver wasn't hurting for big bodies or young upside. While Vele was a great find, the Broncos’ wide receiver room got crowded, fast.
The emergence of Troy Franklin in his second year changed the math. Franklin started stacking "wow" plays in camp, and then you have Pat Bryant, the rookie out of Illinois who the Broncos grabbed in the third round. Bryant is 22. Vele? He’s already 28. In NFL years, that’s a massive gap. Denver looked at Vele and saw a finished product—a good one, sure—but they looked at Bryant and saw a higher ceiling with a similar physical profile.
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Plus, you can’t ignore the draft capital. Getting a fourth-round pick for a guy you drafted in the seventh round a year prior is just good business. It’s the kind of move a team makes when they think they have a surplus. They bet on Marvin Mims Jr. taking a leap and the rookies filling the void.
What the Saints Are Actually Getting
New Orleans needed this. Badly. Under Kellen Moore’s new offensive look, the Saints were desperate for a physical presence to complement Chris Olave’s finesse and Rashid Shaheed’s pure speed.
Vele is a "big slot" archetype. He’s not going to outrun many elite corners on a go-route, but he’s a nightmare on third downs. He knows how to use his 210-pound frame to shield defenders. In Denver, he was a safety net for Bo Nix. In New Orleans, the hope was he’d be the same for Derek Carr.
But it hasn't been a fairy tale. Since the trade, Vele’s 2025 season has been... quiet. Through the first ten weeks, he was barely seeing the field. We're talking 17 snaps here, 4 snaps there. It wasn't until Week 10 that he finally saw a heavy workload, playing 86% of the snaps. The talent is clearly there—he’s averaged nearly 12 yards per catch when the ball actually comes his way—but the Saints have been weirdly hesitant to make him a focal point.
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The Age Factor and the "Mormon Mission" Gap
One thing people always bring up with Vele is his age. He’s old for a second-year player. He spent time on an LDS mission in Samoa before his college career at Utah.
Some scouts hate that. They see a 28-year-old and think there’s no room for improvement. But if you're the Saints, who cares? You aren't drafting for 2030; you're trying to win games now. Vele is a "pro’s pro." He’s smart, he’s versatile, and Joe Lombardi (Broncos OC) even praised him for being able to play every receiver position on the field. That kind of IQ is rare for a guy with so little NFL mileage.
Was it Highway Robbery?
Saints fans were hyped. Broncos fans were annoyed. Looking back from 2026, the trade looks more like a pragmatic swap than a heist.
- Denver's Perspective: They turned a late-round flyer into a mid-round asset and cleared space for Pat Bryant.
- New Orleans' Perspective: They got a proven, cheap starter for a pick that might not have even made their roster in 2026.
The real "loser" in the deal might just be Vele’s stat line. He went from a system in Denver where he was a primary target to a Saints offense that has struggled with identity and consistency.
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What to Watch for Next
If you're following this roster saga, there are a few things to keep an eye on as we move into the 2026 offseason:
- The Snap Count: Watch if New Orleans finally commits to Vele as the WR3 or if he remains a situational red-zone threat.
- Denver's Draft: See how the Broncos use that 2026 fourth-round pick. If they land a starter, the trade is a definitive win for Sean Payton.
- Contract Status: Vele is on a cheap rookie deal through 2027. He’s a massive bargain at less than $1 million a year against the cap.
The trade was a gamble on potential versus production. Denver chose the future; New Orleans chose the frame. Whether Vele can turn into a consistent 600-yard receiver in Louisiana remains the big question, but for now, he’s a fascinating "what if" left behind in the thin air of Colorado.
If you're tracking Saints roster moves, keep an eye on the practice squad elevations. The team has been rotating guys like Ronnie Bell and Damien Alford, which suggests they're still not 100% sold on their depth behind Olave. Vele has the size advantage, but in this league, you’ve gotta produce every Sunday to keep your spot.