🔥 Broncos Make Another Trade — WR Devaughn Vele Headed to New Orleans for Draft Picks

The Broncos’ offense has been under the microscope all offseason, with fans and analysts alike demanding answers about the team’s identity under head coach Sean Payton.

Trading away Devaughn Vele, a big-bodied wideout with raw upside, signals that Denver is playing the long game with draft capital rather than banking on developmental talent.

At 6-foot-4, Vele flashed potential as a red-zone threat and vertical option, but he never fully cracked the rotation in Denver’s crowded receiver room.

With Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy (for now), and Marvin Mims Jr.

ahead of him, opportunities were slim.

Sources inside the organization suggest the Broncos felt they couldn’t justify keeping Vele buried on the depth chart while also ignoring the chance to stack mid-round draft picks.

New Orleans, meanwhile, may have found a steal.

The Saints’ receiving corps has talent at the top with Chris Olave and veteran Michael Thomas (when healthy), but depth has been a concern.

Vele gives them a physical target who can compete immediately for snaps and potentially grow into a reliable WR3 or situational weapon.

Pairing him with Olave’s speed could quietly make New Orleans’ passing attack more versatile—especially in contested catch situations.

The draft-pick haul for Denver is notable.

A fourth-rounder in 2026 and a seventh-rounder in 2027 may not sound flashy, but for Payton and GM George Paton, it’s about flexibility.

Extra picks mean more leverage in future trades—or a chance to unearth hidden gems, something Payton has done before.

Reaction around the league has been mixed.

Some see this as a classic “roster-clearing” move by Denver, opening a path for younger wideouts and giving Vele a chance to play elsewhere.

Others think the Broncos sold low on a player whose physical traits (size, catch radius, blocking ability) are hard to replace.

Fans in New Orleans, however, are already buzzing.

On social media, one Saints supporter wrote: “We gave up a couple of lottery tickets for a guy who could be a matchup nightmare.

Love this deal.

”

For Vele himself, it’s an opportunity.

After bouncing on the fringes in Denver, he now heads to a Saints team that could use exactly what he brings: toughness, length, and a chip on his shoulder.

Bottom line: the Broncos add draft flexibility, the Saints add depth, and Devaughn Vele finally gets a chance to prove whether his potential translates on Sundays.