RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Sunday brings us down to 14 days before the New Orleans Saints regular season opener. The Saints travel north to kick off 2026, playing at the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Sept. 13. Wideout Devaughn Vele will wear No. 14 for the Saints this season.
Vele was a late training camp pickup last offseason. It took awhile to pay dividends, but he made an impact down the stretch of the year before getting hurt. Not only will Vele be expected to do more in 2026, but he's also our latest Saints Player of the Day.
Name (age): Devaughn Vele (28)
Hometown: San Diego, Calif.
Position: Wide receiver
Height, weight: 6-foot-5, 210 pounds
College: Utah Utes
Relative Athletic Score: 8.47
Drafted: Round 7, 235 overall in 2024 ( Denver Broncos )
NFL experience: 2 years
2026 salary cap hit: $1.08 million
Upon winning a state championship at Rancho Bernardo High School in California, Vele would be a walk-on at the University of Utah after completing a two-year LDS church Mormon mission. He'd redshirt in 2019, not playing his first football in three years until two catches in five games for the Utes during a Covid-shortened 2020 season. It was enough to earn a football scholarship heading into 2021, where Vele responded with 23 receptions for 389 yards and a score. He was an even bigger part of the Utes attack in 2022 with 55 catches for 695 yards and 5 touchdowns, second on the squad. Vele capped off his collegiate career with 43 catches for 593 yards and 3 scores in 2023, leading Utah in all three categories.
Vele was taken off the board midway through Round 7 of the 2024 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos. He not only made the active roster, but caught all 8 of his targets in the 2024 regular season opener. As a rookie, Vele appeared in 13 games and played 53% of the Broncos offensive snaps. He had 41 receptions in 55 targets for 475 yards and 3 touchdowns. Vele was third on the team in targets, catches, and receiving yardage with 26 of his receptions resulting in a first down.
Vele missed some time with knee issues early in 2025 training camp for Denver and was deemed expendable in a deep Broncos receiving corps. He was traded to the Saints in late August for a 2026 fourth round draft choice and a 2027 seventh rounder. Inexplicably, New Orleans barely used Vele over the first nine games of last year. A mid-season trade of Rashid Shaheed changed all that.
Devaughn Vele had an instant chemistry with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough. Vele became a valuable target for Shough and caught 19 passes for 239 yards over a four-week stretch. He'd miss the last three games with a leg injury and finished his first year as a Saint with 25 receptions for 293 yards. The Saints selected three wideouts in the 2026 NFL Draft. Despite this, Devaughn Vele's chemistry with Shough and his intermediate route skills are expected to make him a vital part of the 2026 New Orleans offense.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Countdown to Kickoff: Devaughn Vele is the Saints Player of Day 14
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