Last season, when the New Orleans Saints traded for Devaughn Vele before the season began, the team got major pushback from everyone. Usually, with the moves teams make, there is a discrepancy between the opinions of fans/team reporters and national media, but this move was different. There were not many supporters, and it makes sense why. The Saints needed a contested-catch WR, but this was a rebuilding team that needed a gap year. The team had confidence in the roster, but everyone else said the roster was not ready to compete.

The draft capital given up was a fourth-round pick, which is a very useful pick for a rebuilding roster. Also, it did not help that the trade was made with Sean Payton's Denver Broncos. What makes it even more questionable is the fact that three other WRs were going to be ahead of Vele. Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Brandin Cooks were the Saints' trio, and even though Vele filled a contested catch niche that was missing, it would take a bit until he can break through that group. This remained true until Shaheed and Cooks were no longer on the team after the trade deadline.

Against the Carolina Panthers, we finally saw how important Vele could be. It was only 1 reception, but Vele made a good catch under pressure that nearly got a first down. This might have looked like nothing at the time, but moving forward, it became Vele's calling card with the Saints. Whenever Tyler Shough needed to pick up yards on a third down, he would look right at Vele to make the most important catch.

When Olave was not the option on a pass, the attention went straight to Vele, and he was able to be the perfect security blanket for Shough, which was the main reason he was traded for. 2026 is going to be a bit different.

Shough is coming into the season with experience and preparation, but Vele should still be an important option. His contested-catch ability is too important to this team. What's going to be very interesting to see is how long Vele keeps his spot.

Vele should be one of the Saints' top three WRs to start the season, which is different than last year. He fits perfectly with Olave and rookie Jordyn Tyson, so taking him out of that starting spot would be questionable. Another difference is the depth of this group. Rookie Bryce Lance will likely be WR4, and rookie Barion Brown will be a depth piece as well. Both players have the potential to do great things, and they may be able to take Vele's spot if they make more of an impact. Still, Vele's contested catch ability is the best on the team, and that could be a major difference maker.