The Denver Broncos could feel the sting of revenge from a discarded ex-wide receiver after the NFL trade deadline on November 10.
ESPN’s Ben Solak put current New Orleans Saints wide receiver and former Bronco Devaughn Vele at the top of his trade targets list for Denver’s AFC West rival, the Kansas City Chiefs.
While the Broncos almost certainly won’t face Vele this year — they play the Chiefs for the second time this season in Week 8 — losing him would hurt the Broncos if he’s a difference-maker for the Chiefs, especially after they snapped Kansas City’s 9-year AFC West title streak in 2025 and with both teams headed into midseason as legitimate playoff and Super Bowl contenders.
Solak thinks the Chiefs could trade former 1st-round pick Xavier Worthy and a 2027 7th-round pick to the Saints in exchange for Vele and a 2027 6th-round pick.
“Before you laugh, that’s tied-for-22nd-in-total-receptions Devaughn Vele to you! Vele is an entirely unexciting target, but he is also basically what the Chiefs need,” Solak wrote on October 27. “He’s a big-bodied receiver who can take a ton of contact and endure 10-plus-target games. He also makes good catches away from his frame and provides red zone value — something the Chiefs’ worryingly undersized receiver room has always failed to bring. With Jordyn Tyson coming back from a hamstring injury at some point and the Saints’ season on life support, New Orleans can take the gamble on rehabilitating Worthy.”
Devaughn Vele ‘Biggest Surprise’ for Saints in 2026
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox called the 6-foot-5, 210-pound 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.”
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.
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, and he’s come back from injured reserve looking like he’ll be the featured back in Denver’s offense moving forward, leapfrogging J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey.
Ex-Broncos WR Called Top Trade Target for Chiefs