A former LDS missionary and walk-on who worked his way from Utah's roster to a starting NFL receiver job before being traded to New Orleans.
Devaughn Vele's path to the NFL ran through a two-year church mission and a walk-on stint at Utah before he emerged as a reliable target good enough for Denver to draft in 2024. A trade brought him to New Orleans in 2025, where he continued to produce as a possession receiver despite a late-season injury.
Path to the league
Vele walked on at Utah after completing a two-year LDS mission, gradually building into a full-time contributor for the Utes with 50 catches for 595 yards and five touchdowns in 2022 and 43 catches for 593 yards in 2023. Denver selected him in the seventh round (235th overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Vele made an immediate impact as a Broncos rookie, appearing in 13 games with seven starts and catching 41 passes for 475 yards and three touchdowns, a strong debut for a seventh-round pick. He has caught passes in every NFL season he's played, showing steady, reliable production as an underneath and possession target.
2025 season recap
Denver traded Vele to New Orleans on August 20, 2025, in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick. With the Saints, he played in 13 games, catching 25 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns before a shoulder injury landed him on injured reserve on December 19.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Devaughn Vele
- Pro Football Reference: Devaughn Vele
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Receiving
13 games played▶Receiving · career
| Year | Team | GP | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | saints | 13 | 25 | 293 | 11.7 | 2 | 17 |
| 2024 | broncos | 13 | 41 | 475 | 11.6 | 3 | 37 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Wide Receiver
- Group
- offense
- College
- Utah
- Hometown
- San Diego, CA, USA
- Age
- 28
- Status
- active
