The Denver Broncos have a stable of great wide receivers. They just can’t figure out how to get them the ball.
For one ex-Broncos wide receiver, getting the ball hasn’t been a problem in 2026, with Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox calling 6-foot-5, 210-pound New Orleans Saints wide receiver Devaughn Vele his team’s “Biggest Surprise” headed into Week 6.
The Broncos traded Vele to the Saints in a surprise move before the 2025 season.
“The 2024 seventh-round pick out of Utah was purely a complementary receiver in his first season with New Orleans, but he’s been thrust into a surprisingly large role this season,” Knox wrote. “In 2025, Vele played 51 percent of the offensive snaps and recorded 25 catches for 293 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games. His season was cut short by a shoulder injury. This season, Vele is healthy and has filled the No. 2 receiver role opposite Chris Olave. Rookie first-round pick Jordyn Tyson was supposed to fill that role but has been sidelined by a hamstring injury. In Tyson’s absence, Vele has shown that he’s more than capable. The 28-year-old has played 92 percent of the offensive snaps and has already caught 25 passes for 252 yards and two scores. He has provided a passer rating of 104.8 when targeted.”
Broncos’ Draft Picks Yielded High-Profile RB
One of the draft picks the Broncos got back for Vele yielded a high-profile pick Denver fans are excited about heading into 2026: running back and 4th-round pick Jonah Coleman, who was placed on injured reserve on September 26.
ESPN’s Matt Bowen named Coleman the NFL’s top “Under the Radar” rookie in 2026.
“The Broncos landed Coleman in the fourth round, and the rookie has flashed this preseason,” Bowen wrote on September 5. “He has the foot quickness and vision to thrive in Denver’s rushing attack, but he also adds to the pass game with his receiving skills and blocking ability. Coleman is the third option for Denver in a committee with J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey.”
Vele Seemed on Track to Become Star for Broncos
Vele, a 2024 7th-round pick (No. 243 overall) in the 2024 NFL draft, had 41 receptions for 475 yards and 3 touchdowns as a rookie for the Broncos.
He’s drawn constant comparisons to one of Payton’s former proteges on the Saints — 2019 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Michael Thomas.
Vele also seemed to be in the running to become Denver’s WR2 option behind Courtland Sutton in 2025.
“Mims, Vele and Troy Franklin, who scored Denver’s lone touchdown in the wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills, could rightly envision themselves having ‘ascensions,’ as Payton put it, in the Broncos’ offense this season,” The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider wrote in June 2025. “But the math suggests the Broncos can’t ramp up production for all three targets while building more of the passing game around (tight end) Evan Engram, incorporating Bryant and continuing to feed Sutton at a high level. So how will the distribution shake out?”
Talented Ex-Broncos WR Called ‘Biggest Surprise’ in NFC