Broncos WR Devaughn Vele Dealing With an Injury: What We Know

Devaughn Vele was one of the hot topics of the Denver Broncos' offseason training program. The second-year receiver showcased that he'd worked hard during the offseason, on his own, and when the voluntary minicamps rolled around, it was clear that he'd separated from some of the Broncos' other wideouts.

As one of the big 'risers' of OTAs, Vele's absence from the Broncos' mandatory minicamp last week triggered concerns and questions. Even head coach Sean Payton, who loathes to discuss injuries publicly, seemed triggered, snapping at a reporter over a question about Vele's absence, while trying to play down the seriousness of the situation.

“No. He’s going to be full-go start of training camp," Payton said last Thursday. "Everything is good.”

Payton said that, "outside" of wide receiver A.T. Perry, the Broncos expect to have everyone healthy and ready to roll to start training camp. So what do we know about Vele's absence?

You get the most flak when you're over the target; Payton's blow-up at the podium must have been due to the sensitivity of the situation, because 9NEWS' Mike Klis reported that Vele is, in fact, dealing with a leg injury.

With how good he's looked this offseason, the only thing that could hold Vele back from taking the next step in Year 2 is the injury bug. He missed four games last season, dealing with a painful rib injury.

With how good Bo Nix has looked this spring and summer, as well as the talent around Vele on the wide receiver depth chart, the Broncos' passing attack is poised to reach another level this season. Nix passed for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns last season — an impressive rookie body of work — but Denver's passing game actually finished at No. 20 in the NFL.

The Broncos did enter the top 10 in scoring, though, which is another omen that the times have changed with Nix at the helm. However, he'll need his supporting cast to develop around him in kind.

Payton says there's no reason to expect Vele's injury to keep him out of training camp. Meanwhile, Vele wasn't the only Broncos wideout to have himself a nice offseason, with the likes of Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims Jr. generating media buzz and praise from Payton.

Rookie wideout Pat Bryant also looked very good this spring, and he may factor into the Broncos offense much sooner than expected. The arrival of free-agent tight end Evan Engram is another feather in Nix's cap.

Vele will return. A 2024 seventh-round pick out of Utah, he's an older second-year guy at 27 years old. That means he's got to make hay while the sun is shining, which explains why he may have worked so hard on his own this offseason.

For example, new Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins has been in the NFL since 2020. He's only 26 years old. Different positions, yes, but it puts Vele's relative age into context as a second-year player.

That was a big reason Vele was still available in the seventh round of last year's draft. He was an older rookie, which means he couldn't afford to waste any time in his development.