Nine former Utah Utes declared for the NFL draft this offseason with hopes of continuing their football careers and playing professionally.
Here’s a look at receiver Devaughn Vele.
Devaughn Vele, wide receiver
- Height: 6-foot-4.
- Weight: 203 pounds.
- Age: 26.
What did he do at Utah?
A former walk-on, Vele had a long and productive career at Utah, stretching from 2019 to 2023. That, combined with the mission he served for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before joining the Utes, makes Vele one of the older players in the draft.
Over his career at Utah, Vele had 1,689 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 123 catches, ramping up his production in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
In 2022, catching passes from Cam Rising, Vele had a career-high 695 receiving yards, and last year, he had 593 receiving yards to lead the Utes even as the passing offense struggled.
Utah made more of an effort to get Vele the ball in the latter half of the 2023 season, and he made the most of his opportunities, starting with an 80-yard performance vs. Oregon, then a two-touchdown performance against Arizona State.
He closed his season out with a pair of 100-plus-yard games — 145 yards on five catches vs. Washington and 111 yards on five receptions at Arizona.
“I want to show that I can still move well for my height and my weight,” Vele said while preparing for the draft. “Not only that, being confident in catching the ball, having great hands, great footwork, great route running, and just trying to prove a lot of people wrong. I know I’m under the radar, so I was just trying to open up some eyes right now.”
He said that Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig’s offense helped prepare him for the NFL.
“I appreciate the offensive play calls, building my football IQ,” Vele said. “I feel like we’re not just one of those black and white teams. We have a lot of gray area where we have to understand coverages, we have to understand audibles, checks and all those things, and even the fronts of the (defensive) line, so I feel like that’s prepared me for the NFL to where when we do get the playbook it won’t be as hard to study.”
Vele’s height is an advantage for him, and he had decent combine numbers. While the hope is to make it in the league as a receiver, he’s also willing to get his foot in the door on special teams.
“My work ethic and being coachable, I feel like those are my two biggest things,” Vele said about what translates to the next level. “You don’t need to tell me twice what to do.
“I’ll understand from the first time, and then like I said, just my work ethic. I’m going to outwork everybody that’s going to be on the field with me.”
What were his NFL combine numbers?
- Hand size: 9 3/4 inches.
- Arm length: 33 1/2 inches.
- Wingspan: 79 1/8 inches.
- 40-yard dash: 4.47 seconds.
- Vertical: 36 inches.
- Broad jump: 10 feet, 6 inches.
What’s his scouting report?
“Functional as either an outside receiver with some route-running polish or as a big slot able to create matchup concerns for static coverages. Vele won’t win with quickness or speed, but his attention to detail as a route runner and willingness to utilize his play strength helps create advantages. He has a great catch radius, but his production was stymied by inconsistent catch finishing and below-average quarterback play. Vele has draftable talent and could compete for a roster spot.” — Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
“Overall, Vele will have trouble creating quick pockets of separation versus NFL coverage, but he can stretch the field vertically and has rangy ball skills that won’t force the quarterback to be pinpoint accurate. He is a potential WR4/5 and adds some return ability.” — Dane Brugler, The Athletic
Where’s he projected to be drafted?
Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranked Vele as the 40th best receiver of the 2024 draft class and tabbed him as a “priority free agent.”