On Wednesday, the Denver Broncos trade of Devaughn Vele was breaking news.
Denver sent their second-year receiver–a former 7th-round pick–to the New Orleans Saints for a 2026 4th-round pick and a 2027 7th-rounder. The Broncos fleeced the Saints.
Not only was it a win for the Broncos in the future, but it’s a great sign for Denver’s wide receiver depth in 2025.
Denver Broncos trade of Devaughn Vele means coaches are happy with Troy Franklin, others
Denver’s depth at wide receiver was nonexistent in 2024, which is why Vele earned so much playing time. But fast forward a year and the Broncos are so comfortable with their wideouts they traded away a key piece from last season.
Vele, a 7th-round pick, was a pleasant surprise when he started making things happen on the gridiron. He started seven games, mostly in the second half of the season, and was what coaches likely hoped Troy Franklin would be. And when it was all said and done in 2024, Vele was the team’s third-leading receiver in receptions (41), yards (475), and touchdowns (3).
A year later, and Franklin has finally turned the corner. He’s been the talk of camp and just enjoyed a two-touchdown game against the Cardinals in Week 2 of preseason.
It’s great news for the Broncos because Franklin was taken in the fourth round a year ago, three rounds ahead of Vele. And yet, their success on the field was flipped compared to their draft positions. Last year, Franklin was sixth on the team in receptions (28) and yards (263) with two touchdowns.
Finally, Franklin is looking like the real deal and hopefully the No. 2 receiver opposite of Courtland Sutton. If so, Marvin Mims will be able to move inside into the slot, where he was more effective last season than he was outside.
Updated Denver Broncos WR depth chart
With the Denver Broncos trade of Devaughn Vele, the depth chart needs updating.
Vele was either third or fourth on the depth chart depending on the source, so now many behind him are moving up.
Before preseason kicked off, Broncos insider Benjamin Allbright had Vele in that No. 3 spot. Today, I took a guess at what the updated WR depth chart looks like post-Vele trade:
Update(?)
X/1 Sutton
Z/2 Franklin
Slot/3 Mims
4 Sherfield
5 Bryant
6 Jackson?? (ST)— Tariff Tim and the “Groceries” (@richkurt.bsky.social) August 21, 2025 at 1:04 PM
As alluded to above, Franklin outside and Mims in the slot makes a lot of sense for multiple reasons. First and foremost, Franklin is 6’2″ and Mims is 5’11”. Taller receivers are more well suited on the outside, and shorter guys are usually on the inside. Second, according to FTN Fantasy, Mims’ DVOA in the slot (-6.1%) was much better than outside (-29.3% DVOA) last year. Finally, getting both of them on the field with Sutton will test the limits of many defensive backfields. Even more so when tight end Evan Engram is out there as well. In the slot, Mims will be lining up against the opposing team’s third-best cornerback; he could feast in that position.
Vele’s departure also means veteran Trent Sherfield will likely see some snaps on offense, too. He’s impressed this preseason. Sherfield led the team with 3 receptions for 73 yards and 1 TD vs. San Francisco.
Then there’s rookie Pat Bryant, who led the team in Week 2 with 4 catches for 70 yards. He and Sherfield are likely still battling for No. 4/5, while there are many guys fighting for No. 6.
That could be Courtney Jackson, who had a solid punt return in the win over the Cardinals and a speedy kickoff return vs. SF. Especially if Sean Payton wants Mims to focus on offense instead of special teams this year. Michael Bandy is an option as a return man/special teamer, too.
The Broncos play their third and final preseason game this Saturday, Aug. 23 in New Orleans. That will give the many receivers on the back end of the depth chart a chance to make the team. It will also allow Vele a shot at the Broncos, if he’s ready to go with such a quick turnaround.
Last year in late August, Denver tried to trade receiver Tim Patrick and waived him. Patrick enjoyed a strong campaign with the Lions, including nine starts.