The Denver Broncos have a slew of key players on offense for 2025, but who is their most important player on that side of the ball? Bo Nix is the obvious answer here, but that is honestly too easy. Denver did add a ton of talent to this side of the ball this offseason.
And some of their other incumbent talent took strides in the 2024 NFL Season. Many eyes will be on Denver in 2025 to see if they can ascend to contender status and even compete with the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC West title, something they have not won since the 2015 season.
The offense has to take that next step this season, but who is the most important player and a primary factor in that potential success?
Devaughn Vele is the Denver Broncos most important offensive player for 2025
One of the more rare players you will see in the NFL, Devaughn Vele was a seventh-round draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft but was also turning 27 years old during his rookie season. Vele ended up producing at a modest but productive level in his rookie season, hauling in 41 receptions for 475 yards and three touchdowns.
He played in 13 games, so he was on pace for 54 receptions for 621 yards and four touchdowns across a 17-game season, but what sticks out the most with Vele is the fact that he managed to catch 74.5% of his targets, which is an extremely high number for even the best WRs in the NFL, let alone a rookie.
Furthermore, a ton of players make a huge jump from year one into year two, so Vele being on a 600-yard pace during his rookie season could bode quite well for a jump into that 800-1,000 yard range in 2025. Not only could Vele be on pace to flirt with 1,000 yards in 2025, but him being a reliable target is honestly going to be more important.
Denver does need a go-to receiver that catches passes at a high level, as their top wide receiver at the moment, Courtland Sutton, has caught less than 60% of his career targets. Furthermore, Sutton had a passer rating of 86.7 when targeted in 2024.
For Vele, his rating when targeted was 118.4.
Am I crazy to think that Devaughn Vele is already a better and more efficient weapon on offense than Courtland Sutton is? While it might be a bit too early to say that now, the momentum is trending that way in 2025.