WR Devaughn Vele’s role in the Broncos offense is TBD

Devaughn Vele’s exact role in the Broncos’ offense is TBD.

In the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos selected Utah wide receiver Devaughn Vele. This was a somewhat unusual pick at the time, as he would turn 27 years old during his rookie season and reach the 30-year-old age wall at the end of his rookie contract. So, he was a bit of a unique rookie for the Broncos.

However, Vele would quickly win over the Broncos coaches and become a standout player throughout Broncos training camp. He was on the receiving end of multiple highlight reel plays and went from a roster bubble player to someone who has to make the 53-man roster. Well, he did just that and ended up being a highly targeted player for the Broncos during their week one loss to the Seahawks. In that game, he would see 8 targets and haul in 8 receptions for 39 yards.

After a game a high-volume game like that, you would assume Vele would be a big contributor moving forward. However, he would be a healthy scratch for the next four games and would not appear in a game again until their week 6 loss to the Chargers. From that point forward, Vele would go on to be a key member of the Broncos’ offense for the rest of the season.

He would finish the year with 55 targets, which resulted in 41 receptions for 475 yards and 3 touchdowns. Now, he enters year two with the Broncos with an uncertain role in a suddenly deep wide receiver room.

Player Profile

Devaughn Vele | Wide Receiver | Broncos

Height: 6-5

Weight: 210 pounds

Age: 27 years old

Experience: 2nd NFL season

2024 stats: 55 targets, which resulted in 41 receptions for 475 yards and 3 touchdowns

Broncos WR Devaughn Vele’s 2025 Outlook

Outside of Courtland Sutton, the outlook for the rest of the Broncos’ wide receivers is TBD. You have Marvin Mims, Troy Franklin, rookie Pat Bryant, and Vele all vying for playing time at wide receiver. Then you have Evan Engram, who will basically be playing receiver as well as rookie running back R.J. Harvey, who will be used in the passing game. So, it is going to be interesting to see how things shake out at wide receiver.

For Vele, his main competition appears to be rookie wide receiver Pat Bryant. Marvin Mims is your gadget player/deep threat, while Troy Franklin is another speedy deep threat player. Vele and Bryant figure to be more boundary players who will be targeted in the middle of the field. Those two will likely be competing for snaps throughout training camp and the preseason.

With that said, it is also possible we could see both Bryant and Vele on the field at the same time. Head Coach Sean Payton likes utilizing his bigger wide receivers, and he’ll have Courtland Sutton, Vele, and Bryant all on the roster to utilize.

As for Vele, he seems like a lock to make the Broncos’ 53-man roster, but his exact role i,s as I said, to be determined.

Final Thoughts

It is tough to figure out what Vele’s exact role could be. Courtland Sutton is WR1, Marvin Mims figures to have a bigger role in the passing offense, Troy Franklin was a standout player during OTAs and minicamp, and the team spent a third-round pick on Pat Bryant while Vele was on the roster. Hell, Bryant is the 5th highest wide receiver drafted by Payton during his head coaching career.

Will Bryant surpass him on the depth chart? Will Mims have a larger role in the offense? What if Troy Franklin has a breakout year? Will Evan Engram impact Vele’s snaps? The answers to these questions will determine Vele’s exact role in the Broncos’ offense.

This is a good problem to have, and we’ll see it play out throughout training camp, the preseason, and likely throughout the regular season.