The Denver Broncos have a crowded wide receiver room. Courtland Sutton's contract was reworked, so his saga regarding a possible holdout or trade is over and he is back. Second-year Marvin Mims should have an increased offensive role with Jerry Jeudy traded to the Cleveland Browns. Tim Patrick is healthy following two consecutive years with season-ending injuries, and Denver signed Josh Reynolds in free agency, who was an underrated weapon for Jared Goff in Detroit last season.
During the Draft, they traded up to select Bo Nix's favorite target at Oregon, Troy Franklin. Additionally, the Broncos still have Lil'Jordan Humphrey, Brandon Johnson, and Jalen Virgil, among others in a loaded position group.
An underrated receiver has been turning heads up during training camp so far. He is making a strong case for a spot on the 53-man roster. We still do not know how many receivers the Broncos will have on their roster after the preseason, but ...
Rookie WR Devaughn Vele has been impressive in camp and can make the 53-man roster
Devaughn Vele, who the Broncos selected in the 7th round of the 2024 Draft, specifically with the 235th overall pick out of Utah, is a player who has stood out in training camp, making impressions to the coaches, with a possibility to make the 53-man roster. He has made some big plays and could make a case for the roster during the preseason.
Another nice throw by Bo Nix to Devaughn Vele in 1 on 1s. pic.twitter.com/gpHrQqkvhv
— Jake Goetz (@broncosnews303) August 5, 2024
Despite him being a rookie at that age with no NFL experience, Vele could have the edge over veterans like Brandon Johnson, and Lil'Jordan Humphrey to be the wide receiver six in the roster behind Sutton, Mims, Reynolds, Patrick, and Franklin due to an important attribute: size.
Sean Payton recently mentioned that size is a key attribute of the Broncos' wide receiver room. Vele is listed as 6' 5'' in height, the tallest in the room. Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick are big wideouts, both with a 6'4'' height.
Sean Payton is obsessed with size in the WR room
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) July 26, 2024
this is at least the fifth time this offseason he’s talked about it unprompted pic.twitter.com/xG0n5jpgEs
Vele has the size to make condensed catches (he looks like a tight end) but is athletic and fast. Our guy Cody Roark mentioned something regarding the rookie earlier this week ...
Devaughn Vele is a player, folks.
— Cody Roark (@CodyRoarkNFL) August 6, 2024
Also head coach Sean Payton had a high praise for the rookie.
#Broncos HC Sean Payton on Devaughn Vele:
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) August 7, 2024
“I like his size and hands in traffic. I thought he’s had a couple snaps now this week where, man, we gotta keep giving him opportunities because I think he has strong hands in traffic… His ability to catch away from his body — when… pic.twitter.com/T9cjo1zSBj
Once again, it is unknown how many receivers the Broncos will have in their 53-man roster, but Vele is an under-the-radar name to watch in the upcoming days. He should get a good amount of reps in the preseason.