Coming into the 2024 NFL season, the Denver Broncos were not expected to necessarily compete for a postseason spot. After moving on from quarterback Russell Wilson, they were entrusting rookie quarterback Bo Nix to lead their offense, and outside pundits were skeptical; their opening win total was set at a measly 5.5 games. Alas, head coach Sean Payton has already led Denver to six victories, and they currently have a spot in the AFC postseason picture.
A lot of the credit will go to Nix and for obvious reasons. His quality of play has been much higher than one could’ve expected for a rookie quarterback, and it helps that the Broncos have complemented him with one of the best-performing defenses in the NFL as well. That being said, there is a reason the draft lasts seven rounds.
See, 223 picks after the Broncos selected Nix with the 12th overall pick, they brought another rookie into the fold who would change the course of their offense. That is not what you would anticipate from a seventh-round pick, but rookie wide receiver Devaughn Vele has been anything but your typical late-round flier.
With eight catches in his NFL debut, Vele immediately proved himself ready to make an impact at the NFL level. Unfortunately, a rib injury and falling out of the pecking order then kept him out of commission for the next four games, but that did not stop Payton or Nix from trusting him. In addition to hauling in four of his six targets for 78 yards in Week 6 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Vele was also listed as a starter, playing 61% of the snaps along the way. Following this game, though, his usage suddenly evaporated:
Thrust into a four-way competition with Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Marvin Mims Jr., and Troy Franklin to be the Broncos’ second wide receiver alongside Courtland Sutton, Vele seemingly was falling out of favor. The two weeks since, however, have told a much different story.
Both in terms of snap share and production, Vele has served as the clear “WR2” behind Sutton, including securing his first touchdown catch in Week 9’s loss in Kansas City. Interestingly, Payton does not see this as Vele breaking out as much as him finally getting the opportunities he deserved:
“I think part of what was holding Devaughn Vele back was us," Broncos head coach Sean Payton said in his post-game press conference Sunday. "In other words, [WR] Josh [Reynolds] was getting a lot of reps. It’s sometimes just giving the player more opportunities. I think one of the things he does well for someone who’s six-four, he’s low cut. He has these like 32-inch inseams and a long torso. So when he comes out of his breaks, you don’t feel a leggy player. You feel a sudden player, and that’s a good trait for a tall receiver. Then the other things is he has extremely strong hands in traffic. He just keeps improving, but part of that is he’s getting more opportunities.”
Reynolds has not played since Vele’s Week 6 return, but Payton’s overall conclusion still stands; Vele’s lack of production was mainly a product of his lack of opportunities rather than vice versa. Altogether, his 62% success rate on passes targeted to him leads all Broncos wide receivers, as does his impressive 81.3% catch rate. The production he has accumulated (targets, receiving yards, first down) all rank second behind Sutton, and that is despite his inconsistent usage. Imagine what a full season of him receiving proper opportunities could look like!
Certainly more than his college days, when Vele never reached 700 receiving yards in any of his five seasons at Utah and averaged just 35.9 receiving yards/game. That being said, college numbers do not always reflect what one can accomplish at the professional level; a 6-foot-4 wide receiver who runs a 4.47 40-yard dash has the athletic ability to make an impact. That was the general conclusion TDN had when breaking him down in March:
“Devaughn Vele is a height/weight/speed receiver who lacks production but has plenty of NFL-caliber traits. He is a role-specific receiver but can carve out a role as a reliable possession receiver who will provide effort in the run game.”
Vele’s 40.1 receiving yards per game rank seventh among rookie wide receivers, and if he simply looked at his average in games in which he received enough opportunities (55.5 receiving yards/game), he would rank fourth. That is a small sample size, but a notable one when considering he was the 33rd wide receiver drafted this past April. If Payton’s comments and Nix’s trust in him are any indication, this is just the beginning of a bright future for the rookie wide receiver. Forget the fact he’ll turn 27 years old in December. What matters is what he has proven to be capable of accomplishing, and he has more than done that.
Every year, several rookies drafted in the later rounds surprise the NFL landscape by making immediate contributions far above their draft status. Payton, from his time in New Orleans, has become accustomed to that on the offensive side of the ball, and it appears Vele is next in line. We will see if the Broncos can sustain this level of success en route to a playoff berth, but, regardless, they have to be thrilled about their rookie class; the future is suddenly very bright in Denver.
