It had been nearly a decade since Utah had a wide receiver selected in the NFL draft.
Devaughn Vele broke that streak on Saturday, though, as the Denver Broncos took Vele in the seventh round with the 235th overall pick in the 2024 draft in Detroit.
Vele became the first former Ute wide receiver to be drafted since Kaelin Clay was a sixth-round selection by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015.
The 6-foot-4, 203-pound Vele, who began his college career as a walk-on at Utah, had 123 career receptions for 1,689 yards and nine touchdowns over four seasons.
Vele joins several other former Utes in Denver, including wide receiver Tim Patrick, an undrafted free agent who worked his way into a starting role.
The Broncos also have former Utes offensive tackle Garett Bolles, linebacker Cody Barton and edge Jonah Elliss, who Denver drafted in the third round of this year’s draft, on its roster.
What experts said about the draft selection
“Tall long-striding vertical field-stretcher. Lacks burst off the ball,” said CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso, who gave the selection a B grade. “Can box out near the sideline and in traffic but not dominant in that area. YAC is good, not great. Intriguing type.”
“He is the second wide receiver in what will likely be a seven-player draft class and he faces a scrap to find his way into the rotation, especially if Tim Patrick shows he has regained his form after back-to-back seasons impacted by injuries,” said ESPN’s Jeff Legwold. “Vele ran 4.47 in the 40 at the combine and has punt return skills as well, so athletically he has a chance to carve out a role in what may be, because of his age, a tight career window.”
Scouting Devaughn Vele
“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,” said NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. “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.”
“Vele is a former walk-on with a good blend of size and speed. He’s a big target with long arms and big hands,” said ESPN’s Steve Muench. “He traps some passes and can be more aggressive attacking the ball in contested situations. But he can pluck the ball out of the air and has the body control to make acrobatic catches. Vele is fast enough to threaten vertically and pick up some yards after the catch.”
“Devaughn Vele is a large, long-striding inside-out WR,” said his CBS Sports’ draft profile. “Maybe trusts his lateral quicks a bit too much because he’s not overly fast out of his breaks but covers a lot of ground when crossing over at the line or at the top of his route stem because of his long strides.”
Devaughn Vele draft profile
- Position: Wide receiver.
- College: Utah
- Height: 6-foot-4.
- Weight: 203 pounds.
- Age: 26.
- College stats (four seasons): 123 receptions, 1,689 yards, nine touchdowns.
Devaughn Vele’s ranking at wide receiver in 2024 draft class
- The Athletic: Not ranked.
- ESPN: No. 31.
- NFL.com: No. 42.