Broncos Trade Promising Receiver Vele to Saints for Draft Picks

In a surprising move, the Denver Broncos have traded second-year wide receiver DeVaughn Vele to the New Orleans Saints. The Broncos will receive a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick in exchange for Vele, who was a seventh-round selection out of Utah in 2024.

Vele had a strong rookie campaign for the Broncos, finishing third on the team with 475 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns on 41 catches. However, his departure speaks to the depth the Broncos have compiled at the wide receiver position. The team signed Trent Sherfield in free agency and then drafted Pat Bryant in the third round of this year's draft. Additionally, second-year receiver Troy Franklin has emerged as one of the team's top playmakers in training camp.

Broncos head coach Sean Payton acknowledged that the team's roster is "much further along" compared to his first season in 2023, leading to difficult decisions as the team approaches next week's roster cuts. Payton noted that a receiver who impresses in camp may end up on another team's 53-man roster.

At 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, Vele provides the Saints with the size they were seeking at wide receiver under new coach Kellen Moore. The Broncos and Saints have a history of trades, including a draft-day deal that brought tight end Adam Trautman to Denver.