Devaughn Vele Delivers Breakout Performance as Saints’ WR2 Role Comes Into Focus
The New Orleans Saints didn’t just get production from Devaughn Vele on Sunday - they got a glimpse of the wide receiver they hoped they were trading for earlier this season. In a 21-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins, the 6-foot-5 wideout turned in the most complete performance of his young NFL career, catching all eight of his targets for 93 yards and a touchdown. It wasn’t just efficient - it was exactly what the Saints have been missing behind Chris Olave.
Vele didn’t just show up - he stood out. He earned the highest Pro Football Focus grade on the team at 86.5 and became the first Saints receiver since Michael Thomas in 2020 to record a 100% catch rate on at least seven targets. And if that wasn’t enough, he also recovered an onside kick, capping a day that showcased not just his hands, but his versatility and awareness in all phases of the game.
A Bigger Role, A Bigger Impact
This wasn’t a flash-in-the-pan performance - this has been building. With Rashid Shaheed traded and Brandin Cooks no longer in the picture, Vele has stepped into the WR2 role and wasted no time making it his own.
After tallying just six catches over his first nine appearances, he’s now up to 11 receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown in his last two games. He’s also been on the field for nearly 90 percent of the offensive snaps during that stretch - a clear sign of growing trust from the coaching staff.
The Saints don’t have a high-volume passing attack, but opportunity still matters - and Vele is finally getting it. Two weeks ago, he set a season-high with seven targets.
On Sunday, he matched that number and caught every single one. His chemistry with quarterback Tyler Shough is developing quickly, and his size adds a dimension this offense has sorely lacked since the peak of Michael Thomas - a big-bodied target who can win in traffic and handle volume without losing efficiency.
Denver Didn’t Want to Let Him Go
Before landing in New Orleans, Vele was turning heads in Denver. A seventh-round pick out of Utah, he put together a strong rookie campaign with 50 catches for 566 yards and three touchdowns. That kind of production made him a tough player for the Broncos to part with - and head coach Sean Payton made it clear just how highly they thought of him.
“He has all the things we look for: discipline, structure, smart, tough, talented,” Payton said back in August. “That’s why this one was difficult.
He was fantastic when we visited with him. He’s going to be a real good player for them.”
Payton even compared the difficulty of trading Vele to the decision to move on from Darren Sproles - a move he later admitted he regretted. That level of praise doesn’t come lightly, and it helps explain why the Saints didn’t view Vele as just another depth piece.
They saw a player with upside. Now, that upside is starting to show.
More Than Just Numbers
Inside the Saints’ building, Vele’s value goes beyond the box score. He’s not just catching passes - he’s helping the offense function better. His size and smarts allow him to clean up route spacing, create leverage advantages, and complement Chris Olave’s route-running finesse instead of overlapping with it.
Head coach Kellen Moore has been vocal about Vele’s football IQ and how it fits into the bigger picture.
“One of the cool things about [Vele] is his understanding of how he pieces into the whole puzzle,” Moore said. “When is he complementary?
When is he creating traffic for another guy? Or he’s running this route to open up another receiver on a particular route.
I think his global perspective - the best receivers, it seems like those are the guys. You need a couple of those guys on your team.”
That kind of awareness is rare in a young receiver, and it’s what makes Vele’s emergence so encouraging for New Orleans. He’s not just producing - he’s helping elevate the structure of the offense.
A Glimpse of What’s to Come?
If this is the beginning of Devaughn Vele’s full emergence, the Saints may have finally found what they’ve been searching for: a reliable, physical wideout who can take pressure off Chris Olave and give the offense a more complete identity. It’s early, but the signs are promising - and for a team that’s been looking for answers at receiver, that’s a welcome development.
Sunday’s performance wasn’t just a breakout. It was a statement. And if Vele keeps trending in this direction, it won’t be long before the rest of the league takes notice.