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Wherever Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks, it’s always with an eye to the future — one he knows will only be good if his team is bringing in the right, young players.
One of those players may have revealed himself recently with wide receiver Devaughn Vele, a seventh-round pick (No. 235 overall) in the 2024 NFL draft, who The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider singled out headed into Denver’s first preseason game at the Indianapolis Colts on Aug. 11.
“One draft pick who could follow that path is Vele, who has been the breakout star of camp — even before his eye-popping, one-handed catch in the red zone Thursday, he has consistently popped,” Kosmider wrote. “Payton has praised the way the 6-foot-4, 210-pound receiver operates in traffic. He’s been sure-handed through contact in the middle of the field and has shown promise as a jump ball target, something Denver didn’t have last season outside of Courtland Sutton. Vele, born in Indianapolis, has recently earned some first-team reps in practice and should see significant action against the Colts.”
One thing that won’t indicated Vele’s status on the team is the depth chart — Payton disclosed that the first unofficial depth chart released on Aug. 7 wasn’t indicative of where rookies actually stand with the team. No matter what, Payton said the rookies will be listed last. For now.
“We just released the depth chart (Wednesday), all good. … I just didn’t want to make a big deal about the rookies all being at the end of the line and you guys all went into a tizzy,” Payton told ESPN”s Jeff Legwold. “They’re all at the end of the line and obviously that will change.”
Vele is 26-Year-Old Rookie for Broncos
One thing Vele has been a target of good-natured ribbing from his teammates about is his age for a rookie — Vele is 26 years old and will turn 27 in December.
How Vele ended up so old is as rookie isn’t that complicated. After leading Rancho Bernardo (Calif.) High to a state championship in 2015, he served a two-year LDS mission then returned home before deciding to walk-on at Utah, where he redshirted in 2019.
Vele didn’t crack Utah’s starting lineup until 2021 then had over 500 receiving yards in each of his last two seasons for the Utes. He had his best season in 2022 with 55 receptions for 695 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns.
“Functional as either an outside receiver with some route-running polish or as a big slot able to create matchup concerns for static coverages,” wrote NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein in his pre-draft analysis. “Vele won’t win with quickness or speed, but his attention to detail as a route runner and willingness to utilize his play strength helps create advantages. He has a great catch radius, but his production was stymied by inconsistent catch finishing and below-average quarterback play. Vele has draftable talent and could compete for a roster spot.”
Broncos Have Uncertainty at Wide Receiver
The Broncos spent most of the offseason going back and forth with Sutton over his contract until he agreed to a restructured deal that could pay him up to $15.2 million this season.
Beyond Sutton, who was the last Broncos’ wide receiver to pass 1,000 yards in a single season in 2019, Denver has added talent via the draft in the last two years.
In 2023, the Broncos selected Marvin Mims in the second round. Mims was an NFL All-Pro return specialist as a rookie and could see an expanded role in the passing game in 2024.
Along with Vele, the Broncos selected another wide receiver in the 2024 draft with Oregon’s Troy Franklin in the fourth round (No. 102 overall).
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