Sean Payton compares rookie draft steal to New Orleans Saints legend

Prior to the 2024 NFL trade deadline, myself and many others in Broncos Country were clamoring for the team to make a trade for some type of playmaker, whether a receiver or tight end. Broncos head coach Sean Payton has been adamant about the youth movement on his roster all year long, and that didn't change even with the allure of some potential quick fixes at the deadline.

The Broncos stayed put with the guys they have, and since the deadline, they've been getting their young players more and more involved in the offensive game plan. We've seen a concerted effort to involve Marvin Mims more offensively. We have seen Audric Estimé unleashed a little bit in recent weeks. And perhaps most surprisingly, 7th-round rookie Devaughn Vele -- an unknown to even some of the biggest die-hard NFL Draft fans.

Broncos WR Devaughn Vele gets high praise from head coach Sean Payton

Vele was likely overlooked in the 2024 NFL Draft process mainly due to the fact that he is 26 and nearly 27. In fact, he will turn 27 here in the month of December, which makes him one of the oldest rookies in the 2024 rookie class. Vele took a two-year mission which caused him to spend more time at the collegiate level than you typically see, but timing is everything, isn't it?

Vele opened the season on the Denver Broncos' 53-man roster and with a whopping eight targets against the Seattle Seahawks. A cracked rib injury suffered earlier in the year cost him a handful of games, but he's been turning it up lately for the Broncos, and at the perfect time.

The aforementioned lack of activity for the Broncos at the NFL trade deadline seemingly prompted head coach Sean Payton and his staff to make a concerted effort to get Vele going, and that has done wonders for the offense. Over his last three games, Vele has been targeted 18 times and has racked up 14 receptions for 185 yards and his first NFL touchdown.

Vele has played so well that Payton couldn't hold back his praise, even comparing Vele to one of his top NFL Draft gems while he was with the New Orleans Saints...

"Vele’s doing good. I feel like I’m talking about the same player. The progress with Vele is—sometimes as a coach, you feel like you’re stopping the progress by not getting them touches. I don’t want to say we’re guilty as coaches, but oftentimes afraid to play the rookies. Very quickly we’ve seen his growth. So he’s been really good. The strengths for him certainly are his hands. You guys saw it in camp. He has strong hands in traffic. He’s a guy that plays well over the middle. 

He reminds me a lot of [former Saints WR] Marques Colston, who I had in New Orleans for 10 or 11 years. In our staff meeting 20 minutes ago, I said, ‘We have to continue to find touches for him.’ You have a big target—I mentioned this to you guys—he’s 6’4”, but he has a short inseam. He’s someone who can get in and out of cuts. I’m glad we’re not getting towards the end of the season and not knowing about some of these rookies."

Broncos HC Sean Payton (via team PR)

It's great news for Vele that Payton is talking to his staff about getting the rookie more touches when he's coming off of a game in which he had nine total targets, the most of his young NFL career to this point.

One thing we haven't seen a ton of from this Broncos offense is receivers making plays at the catch point deep downfield. The Broncos have taken plenty of shots downfield with Bo Nix but the timing on deep 50-50 type pass plays has not been there most of the season. Why not let a 6-foot-4 receiver like Vele with his strong hands and ability at the catch point go make a play?

That is something I feel like we're going to see more and more of as the season progresses. For the time being, the Broncos seem to have themselves another NFL Draft steal in Vele. The last three games could be just the tip of the iceberg for the former Utah receiver who has made his mark in Denver rather quickly, and is emerging as the #2 receiver for the playoff run.