Saints playmaker joins Michael Thomas in franchise lore after breakout performance alongside Tyler Shough
Devaughn Vele will be a key piece for the Saints offense going forward.
Breakout performances from young players can shed some happy light on frustrating seasons for teams around the NFL. For the New Orleans Saints, one pass catcher stepped up in a massive way to prove he’s got what it takes to sustain a role in the pros going forward last weekend against the Miami Dolphins.
Devaughn Vele’s breakout game places him alongside former Saints WR Michael Thomas
Via Ross Jackson, Devaugh Vele became the first Saints WR to have a 100% catch rate on seven or more targets since Michael Thomas in 2020. While that’s also a bit of a concerning sign for other receivers in New Orleans’ offense since then, it is also a potentially exciting notion for Vele.
The new wideout for the Saints has been pressured by many fans since the trade deadline. New Orleans moved on from Rashid Shaheed, opening the door for Vele to have an increased role. Kellen Moore confirmed that would be the case as soon as that trade went down. Vele isn’t afraid of contact and uses his bigger frame effectively in the red zone.
Now, we are witnessing the fruits of his labor. Week 13 is a bit of an anomaly for his season so far, but there is no doubt that Vele and Shough are building chemistry together and showed how well they can play as a duo when everything is clicking for Moore’s unit.
Vele gave a ton of credit to his teammates for his performance, though. He feels like his abilities can only be shown when others do their job, and he’s not wrong in that thinking, either.
“I see those stats as a team effort rather than an individual effort. I always give credit to the O-Line, Tyler [Shough], and everybody making the plays that we did make today. But at the end of the day, we want to win games, and that’s the purpose of us being here.” — Vele on impressive performance
No, Vele is not and will not be Michael Thomas. No one is expecting that – for good reason. That being said, the Saints need a sure-handed, big-bodied wideout for the future of their offense. Vele could answer that call. Only time will tell.
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