One of the most interesting position battles for the Denver Broncos in the 2025 preseason is at wide receiver, where the team has relied on its youth and potential to serve as the biggest upgrades. Sean Payton has been bullish about his young group of receivers, and we've gotten some huge progression dating back to last year's trade deadline from players like Marvin Mims Jr. and Troy Franklin.
One of the reasons why the Broncos didn't really go after anyone in NFL Free Agency at receiver is the presence of second-year player Devaughn Vele, a 7th-round pick in last year's draft whose contributions as a rookie in 2024 were some of the most surprising of the season.
Vele caught 41 passes for 475 yards and three touchdowns with 26 first-down plays. But after missing all of mandatory minicamp with an undisclosed leg injury, followed by a quiet training camp and a rough preseason debut, is Vele on the hot seat?
Devaughn Vele going from surprise standout to the hot seat for the Broncos
Vele's snap count in the preseason opener was clearly limited, and maybe that was by design. But he was also outplayed by Troy Franklin and Trent Sherfield, and has been for the entirety of training camp.
Despite that fact, Vele has consistently been reported as looking like the "WR2" for the Broncos in terms of the pecking order at training camp and OTAs. That never really made much sense, considering how well Marvin Mims played down the stretch last season and the expected progression from Troy Franklin manifesting into the most markedly improved offseason of any player on the team.
Vele might find himself on the hot seat if injuries and inconsistency become more pronounced issues moving forward.
Somewhat quietly, Vele has become one of the most polarizing players among fans in Broncos Country this offseason. His contributions last year were exciting, but a decent chunk of the fan base is not thrilled about the team just handing him a bigger role in the offense because of his limited long-term upside.
Vele is only a second-year player, but is already 27 years old and will be 28 in December. He's still got a lot of good football ahead of him, but he doesn't have the same timeline as other second-year players in his position. He's got to be playing at a consistently high level for it to be worth the Broncos giving him snaps over other young players at the position like Mims, Franklin, and rookie Pat Bryant.
And heck, even Trent Sherfield looked outstanding in the preseason debut against the 49ers.
Vele might have earned the trust of Sean Payton last season, but he's a second-year player who was a 7th-round pick a year ago. He's got to earn his opportunities and as of the team's first preseason game, he hasn't earned much for this coming season.