There has been a lot of talk about the Denver Broncos' wide receiver position in the 2025 offseason, and for good reason.
Courtland Sutton is in line for a possible big-money contract extension and everyone is in wait-and-see mode for when that will happen. Troy Franklin is one of the most highly anticipated players on the team this offseason as everyone expects him to be a breakout candidate. Pat Bryant was a controversial third-round pick and fans are intrigued to see how the offseason develops for him.
One player who doesn't really get talked about all that much is second-year player Devaughn Vele, a steal for the Broncos in the 7th round of the 2024 NFL Draft and someone who might be in line for a much bigger role in 2025 than most are anticipating.
Devaughn Vele ready to make year two jump for Broncos offense
There are a couple of reasons why Vele is getting underrated in the 2025 offseason, and I'm as guilty of sleeping on him as anyone.
Vele is already 27 going on 28 years old, an extremely rare case for a second-year player in the NFL. He also had some tough drops last year and wasn't utilized a lot in the deep passing game.
Considering all of the other players at the receiver position, it's understandable why someone like Vele would be getting sort of brushed aside. There is a bit of perception from some in the fan base that his age limits his long-term upside, but the Broncos picked him knowing that he would obviously be able to maximize his abilities in a short window.
Vele is physically in some of the best years of his life right now, and he has one thing that not everyone else in the receiver room has right now: The trust of Sean Payton.
Payton absolutely loves Vele. Vele was a training camp and offseason darling last year for the Broncos, and as far as Payton is concerned, the clock has yet to strike midnight. Despite the fact that he's an older second-year player and the Broncos having younger guys waiting for opportuities, Vele could be poised for a significant breakthrough in his second NFL season.
He had 41 catches on just 55 targets last season with 26 first downs. Bo Nix's quarterback rating when targeting Vele was 118.4, and that's including a number of rough drops on Vele's part. There is significant upside here, even if Vele's time with Denver is only limited to his rookie deal.
With Lil'Jordan Humphrey out of the way, and a year of experience under his belt, Vele could broach 100 targets this coming season for Denver and wind up with 60-70 receptions and over 1,000 yards. It's not out of the question to think he will be the second- or third-most targeted player in the offense behind Courtland Sutton and Evan Engram, and if that's the case, we could see Vele take one of the biggest steps of any second-year player in Denver in 2025.