The Denver Broncos shocked the NFL world in the 2024 NFL Season, and with the right offseason this year, they could make a huge leap in 2025. This leap could pave the way for even more players to become household names. Last year, guys like Bo Nix, Zach Allen, and Nik Bonitto all had stellar years and become regulars in the NFL news cycle.
Denver has everything in front of them in 2025l they've got cap space to spend and every single reason to add players. Offensively, the Denver Broncos have a ton of room to add more talent - in fact, of all 14 playoff teams, Denver probably had the worst cast of playmakers.
Denver Broncos have an obvious breakout player on offense for 2025
And the defense can't be neglected, either. The team could add notable players on both sides of the ball, and if the NFL world is talking about Denver flirting with Super Bowl contention in 2025, don't be surprise.
This could lead to even more players on the roster becoming household names. And that's just how this thing works when a team shoots to the top of the NFL world. Well, there is a pretty obvious player on offense who could slide into that 'breakout' category in 2025 if all goes well.
And it's truly not who you think. Yep, it's Devaughn Vele.
Devaughn Vele was not just old for a rookie, but he was truly prehistoric for being in his first year in the NFL. He turned 27 years old in 2024, but his age and experience did seem to help him become an immediate contributor on offense.
In his first year in the league, he caught 41 passes for 475 yarfs and three touchdowns. He did this in 13 games. His 17-game pace in year one came out to 54 receptions, 621 yards, and four touchdowns. What stands out the most to me is how reliable Vele was. He was sure-handed and caught a whopping 74.5% of his targets, which is very high even for elite receivers in the NFL.
Now, just think about this for a second; we'll probably end up talking about a couple of shiny new weapons for Bo Nix to use when the Broncos add them this offseason, via free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. This could look like a stud running back and a stud tight end, perhaps players like Aaron Jones, Ashton Jeanty, Tyler Warren, Colston Loveland, or others.
And with how well Denver played in 2024, the conversation could soon be 'can the Broncos be true contenders in 2025?' And when that question is asked, people are going to look at Bo Nix and the new weaponry he's got on offense. Part of me thinks the second-year player who turns 28 in 2025 is going to fly under the radar a bit, and it makes sense.
Devaughn Vele clearly is not a no. 1 wide receiver in the NFL. He did kind of bring that Tim Patrick vibe to the offense in 2024. He's not going to be a game-changing player, but he may end up being a reliable possession player who the Broncos can always count on.
We saw glimpses of that in 2024, and while the opposing defenses are thinking about how they are going to neutralize players like Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr, a new addition at running back, and even a new addition at tight end, part of me thinks that Devaughn Vele is going to capitalize on being able to 'sneak' through on offense and just eat up a ton of catches and yards.
Part of me truly thinks Devaughn Vele is going to have a monster year in 2025 for the Denver Broncos.