Broncos take second wide receiver of the day in seventh round

The Denver Broncos clearly feel wide receiver is a position of need, and they continue to address it in the NFL Draft.

After trading up in Round 4 to select Troy Franklin out of Oregon, they took another wideout in the seventh round as the picks began coming to a close.

Broncos with No. 235 pick in 7th round (received earlier today in Troy Franklin swap with Seattle) select Utah WR Devaughn Vele. #9sports

— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) April 27, 2024

As a senior at Utah, Vele had 43 catches for 593 yards and three touchdowns. That was a little down from his production in 2022, in which he caught 55 passes for nearly 700 yards and five scores.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, Vele will bring size to the NFL. The Broncos also have a former Utes wide receiver on the roster in Tim Patrick. He’s coming off back-to-back season ending injuries in training camp, but will look to contribute in 2024.

Vele is 26-years-old, so he has plenty of experience under his belt before making the league. He played five seasons with the Utes, starting back in 2019.

Vele joins Franklin in the rookie class, along with the likes of Courtland Sutton, Patrick, Marvin Mims and Brandon Johnson. He’ll likely compete to earn a 53-man roster spot in training camp.

“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,” NFL.com wrote in their draft profile of Vele.

The Broncos have made six picks thus far, and have one to go before the 2024 NFL Draft wraps up.