The New Orleans Saints made a surprise trade on Wednesday, acquiring second-year wide receiver Devaughn Vele from the Denver Broncos.
Vele was the Broncos’ seventh-round draft pick in 2024 and had a breakout role in Sean Payton’s offense. The 6-foot-5 wideout would start in 7 games with Denver, bringing in 41 receptions for 475 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The reactions to the acquisition have been mixed. While some are praising the Saints for finally addressing the size problem in their receiver room,
others are iffy about the draft capital New Orleans had to give up to acquire the second-year wideout. The Saints sent a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Broncos in the trade. With New Orleans projected to be a bottom-five team in 2025, many are not sure the value is there for Vele.
And yes, they are correct to be worried about losing draft capital. The Saints used their 2025 fourth-round picks on linebacker Danny Stutsman and cornerback Quincy Riley, who each have had promising camps for New Orleans so far. But on the other hand, the Saints acquired a proven talent that addresses one of their biggest needs immediately.
The Saints could’ve held onto their fourth-round pick and taken the gamble on a 2026 rookie, but the truth is, New Orleans has struggled to find impactful talent early on day three of the draft. Not including the 2025 rookies, since 2016, the Saints have only drafted two players in the fourth round who would start games in multiple years for them: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and David Onyemata.
With the acquisition of Vele, the Saints gain a young talent who has proven to be able to produce in the league. The former seventh-round pick is still on a rookie contract and won’t be eligible for an extension for another three seasons. New Orleans essentially used a fourth-round pick on a young, proven receiver on a rookie contract.
Now it’s time to talk about the elephant in the room: Devaughn Vele was a 26-year-old rookie and will turn 28 late into his sophomore season. Vele’s age likely played a large role in his fall in the draft, and it makes his ceiling appear lower than a typical second-year receiver. Vele has also been dealing with a knee injury over the offseason and has had to manage his load as he recovers.
Despite his cons, Broncos head coach Sean Payton had high praise for the 6-foot-5 wide receiver, comparing him to Saints legend Marques Colston. While there’s a lot more developing for Vele to do before he could even begin to touch the impact Colston had on the Saints, the high praise from one of the league’s all-time best offensive coaches isn’t to be taken lightly.
It’s also possible for New Orleans to recoup a fourth-round pick. After star cornerback Paulson Adebo signed with the New York Giants in free agency, the Saints were projected to receive a fourth-round compensatory pick in return. Unfortunately, the signing of veteran cornerback Isaac Yiadom could nullify the pick. If Yiadom plays a certain amount of time for New Orleans, they won’t be gifted the 2026 fourth-rounder. The veteran cornerback is slated to be a starter for the Saints, but 2025 fourth-round selection Quincy Riley has made some noise to earn time on the starting defense.
Vele instantly becomes the tallest wideout on the team, with the next tallest being three inches shorter. There was a real concern that the Saints wouldn’t address the lack of size and roll with the players they have. Vele uses his hands to fight through coverage and all of his 6-foot-5 frame to high-point the ball. The former Utah wide receiver ran an extended route tree in college and has a bag of tricks not often seen in a player with as little experience. While the team had to give up a significant draft selection in 2026, it’s being reported that they weren’t the only ones interested in the 2025 breakout receiver.
