Questionable
Injury Shoulder
Est. Return 6/1/2026
2025 Receiving Stats
REC
25
YDS
293
TD
2
AVG
11.7
TAR
40
2026 Projections
2026 Fantasy Outlook
Vele became one of the oldest draft picks in recent years when the Broncos took him 235th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. He was 26 at the time, and turned 27 by the end of his rookie season, during which he emerged as Denver's No. 3 receiver (with a 41-475-3 receiving line to show for it). Last August, the Saints sent Denver a fourth-round pick (plus a seventh-rounder) in exchange for Vele, who then served as the third/fourth receiver in New Orleans behind Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. After Shaheed was traded, Vele came on strong in Weeks 12-15 with 239 yards on 26 targets, only to then miss the final three games because of a shoulder injury. Vele should be healthy for training camp, but the Saints drafted WR Jordyn Tyson (first round) and WR Bryce Lance (fourth round) in April, massively upgrading competition for snaps and targets. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
#
Overall
Signed a four-year, $4.12 million contract with the Broncos in May of 2024. Traded to the Saints in August of 2025.
Facing competition from rookies
Vele (shoulder) faces increased competition for playing time and targets after the Saints used three picks on wide receivers in the 2026 NFL Draft, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
New Orleans used the No. 8 overall pick on Jordyn Tyson, who figures to start alongside Chris Olave from Day 1, and later on the Saints took Bryce Lance in the fourth round and Barion Brown in the sixth. Acquired from the Broncos during the preseason last summer, Vele appeared in 13 regular-season games for the Saints, making seven starts, and produced a 25-293-2 line on 39 targets. Following the trade of Rashid Shaheed to Seattle, Vele became a starter but was injured in Week 15 and missed the final three contests. Capable of playing the slot or outside and on special teams, Vele should have a role in 2026, but the target competition is much stiffer.
New Orleans used the No. 8 overall pick on Jordyn Tyson, who figures to start alongside Chris Olave from Day 1, and later on the Saints took Bryce Lance in the fourth round and Barion Brown in the sixth. Acquired from the Broncos during the preseason last summer, Vele appeared in 13 regular-season games for the Saints, making seven starts, and produced a 25-293-2 line on 39 targets. Following the trade of Rashid Shaheed to Seattle, Vele became a starter but was injured in Week 15 and missed the final three contests. Capable of playing the slot or outside and on special teams, Vele should have a role in 2026, but the target competition is much stiffer.
NFL Stats
Loading NFL Stats...
Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
Loading Fantasy/Red Zone Stats...
Advanced NFL Stats
How do Devaughn Vele's 2025 advanced stats compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
Air Yards Per Game
33.4Air Yards Per Snap
1.00% Team Air Yards
9.6%% Team Targets
6.9%Avg Depth of Target
11.1 YdsCatch Rate
62.5%Drop Rate
0.0%Avg Yds After Catch
1.4% Targeted On Route
17.2%Avg Yds Per Route Run
1.26Loading Advanced NFL Stats...
2025 NFL Game Log
2025
2024
2025 NFL Game Log
Loading Game Log...
Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Saints 2025 WR Snap DistributionLoading Weekly Snap Counts...
#3 WR
Saints- Chris OlaveQues
- Jordyn Tyson
- Devaughn VeleQues
- Mason TiptonQues
- Bryce Lance
- Barion Brown
- Bub MeansQues
- Ja'Lynn PolkQues
- Kevin Austin
- Trey PalmerQues
- Ronnie Bell
- Damien Alford
Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Devaughn Vele lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
Detailed
Grouped
Side
Loading Alignment Breakdown...
Loading Alignment Breakdown...
Loading Alignment Breakdown...
Loading Team Alignment Breakdown...
2025 Devaughn Vele Split Stats
Loading NFL Split Stats...
Measurables Review
View College Player Page
How do Devaughn Vele's measurables compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
6' 5"Weight
210 lbs40-Yard Dash
4.47 secVertical Jump
36.0 inBroad Jump
126 inHand Length
9.75 inArm Length
33.50 in
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2025
2024
Vele is the second-oldest player from the 2024 NFL Draft, having turned 27 in December of his rookie season. He contributed far more than a typical seventh-round pick, posting a 41-475-3 receiving line while serving as Denver's slot receiver for much of the year. That may be about where he maxes out, however, as he never reached 700 yards in a season during his collegiate career at Utah and tested as a merely average athlete at the 2024 Combine (4.47 40 and 36-inch vertical at 6-foot-4, 203 pounds). With their other young wideouts developing nicely, the Broncos traded Vele to New Orleans in August, receiving fourth-and seventh-round picks in return. The Saints have Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed locked in as their starting wideouts, potentially leaving Vele to compete with Brandin Cooks for the No. 3 job.
More Fantasy News
Placed on IR
The Saints placed Vele (shoulder) on injured reserve Friday, WWLAM's Jeff Nowak reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Ruled out to face Jets
Saints head coach Kellen Moore said Wednesday that Vele (shoulder) is ruled out for Sunday's game against New York, Matthew Paras of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Considered week-to-week
Vele (shoulder) is believed to have avoided a major injury but is considered week-to-week, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Arm in sling after Week 15 win
Vele (shoulder) had his left arm in a sling after Sunday's 20-17 win over the Panthers, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Injures shoulder in Week 15
Vele sustained a shoulder injury during Sunday's game versus the Panthers.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Latest Fantasy Rumors
Slated for more snaps sans Cook
Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Saturday that the Saints waived veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks, which means Vele and Mason Tipton are slated to see more snaps on offense for the rest of the regular season.
ANALYSIS
Vele has caught one pass or less in eight of nine regular-season games and has just 14 targets to his name. However, even with rookie sixth-rounder Tyler Shough looking more toward Chris Olave and tight end Juwan Johnson in the passing game, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com believes Vele could be more involved in the Saints' passing attack now that Cooks is off the team. Vele was productive as a pass catcher during the 2024 regular season with the Broncos, when he accumulated 41 catches on 55 targets for 475 yards and three touchdowns across 13 games.
Vele has caught one pass or less in eight of nine regular-season games and has just 14 targets to his name. However, even with rookie sixth-rounder Tyler Shough looking more toward Chris Olave and tight end Juwan Johnson in the passing game, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com believes Vele could be more involved in the Saints' passing attack now that Cooks is off the team. Vele was productive as a pass catcher during the 2024 regular season with the Broncos, when he accumulated 41 catches on 55 targets for 475 yards and three touchdowns across 13 games.