Devaughn Vele
Vele opens the season as New Orleans' de facto No. 2 outside receiver behind Chris Olave purely by circumstance — rookie first-rounder Jordyn Tyson is out with a hamstring injury — and he's trying to hold that role using the chemistry with QB Tyler Shough he built late last year.
Role
Expect him to work as the clear WR2 in three-wide sets while Tyson is sidelined (roughly the season's first month-plus), seeing mid-tier target volume (5-8 per game) behind Olave; last season he took over as the top complementary target once Rashid Shaheed was traded, catching 19-of-26 targets over a four-game stretch before a season-ending shoulder injury. Once Tyson is healthy, the two will compete directly for the No. 2 role, with Olave's concussion history also a lingering variable that could push either backup into more snaps.
He's already shown he can produce real volume in this offense with Shough at QB (19 catches on 26 targets over a four-game run last season), and both Tyson's absence and Olave's injury-prone history give him a real runway to remain a featured target for weeks.
His track record outside of that one hot four-game stretch is thin — plenty of near-zero-target, minimal-snap games — and once Tyson (a Day 3 first-round investment) returns healthy, the coaching staff is likely to funnel volume back toward the higher-drafted rookie, squeezing Vele's role.
Where analysts split
Analysts don't disagree that Vele has a real opportunity right now; the actual question is whether his role survives Jordyn Tyson's return — whether the staff keeps Vele as a co-No.2 given his rapport with Shough, or he reverts to a fringe WR3/4 once Tyson is fully healthy.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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