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Devaughn Vele Picked In Seventh Round Of 2024 NFL Draft By Denver

by Utah Athletics
Apr 27, 2024

DETROIT – Former University of Utah Football wide receiver Devaughn Vele has been picked 235th overall and in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. Vele is Utah's fifth pick in this year's draft.

Vele, who began his career at Utah as a walk-on, is the first Ute wide receiver drafted since 2015 and the fourth in the Kyle Whittingham era. Vele will join Jonah Elliss, who was drafted to the Broncos in the third round, giving Utah seven players picked by Denver in program history.  

WIDE RECEIVERS IN THE NFL DRAFT: WHITTINGHAM ERA
2024: Devaughn Vele, 7th Round (235th overall), Denver
2015: Kaelin Clay, 6th Round (184th overall), Tampa Bay
2010: David Reed, 5th Round (156th overall), Baltimore
2009: Freddie Brown, 7th Round (252nd overall), Cincinnati

DEVAUGHN VELE | WIDE RECEIVER
Hometown: San Diego, Calif.  
High School: Two-sport athlete (football, basketball) at Rancho Bernardo HS
Utah Awards: 2022 All-Pac-12
Career Games at Utah: 47 career games with 28 starts

2023 Quick Hits: Played in 10 games with nine starts, recording a team-high 43 catches for 593 yards (3 TDs), adding a kick return for 21 yards and going 1-of-3 passing for six yards.   

  • Recorded a career-high 145 receiving yards on just five catches (29.0 ypc) in Utah's game at No. 5 Washington, catching a career-long 68-yarder.
  • Career-best nine catches against No. 17 Arizona for 111 yards and a touchdown.

2022 Quick Hits: Saw action in all 14 games with 12 starts, ranking second on the team in receptions (55) and receiving yards (695), scoring five touchdowns along with 26 punt returns for 246 yards.  

  • Caught at least three passes in 10 of Utah's 14 games.
  • Recorded his first-career 100-yard receiving game against Penn State in the Rose Bowl with five catches for 100 yards (20.0 ypc).

2021 Quick Hits: Played in all 14 games with seven starts, racking up 23 catches for 389 yards (16.9 ypc) and a touchdown.

  • Season-high 84 yards on four catches against USC, scoring his first touchdown as a Ute on a 37-yard flea flicker reception.
  • Had a 45-yard reception at Oregon State.

2020 Quick Hits: Played in all five games in his first season on scholarship with two receptions for 12 yards.
2019 Quick Hits: Redshirted after walking on the team in the spring, playing in four games with a start against Colorado in the fall.

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UTES DRAFTED IN 2024
Cole Bishop, 2nd Round (60th overall), Buffalo
Jonah Elliss, 3rd Round (76th overall), Denver
Sione Vaki, 4th Round (132nd overall), Detroit
Sataoa Laumea, 6th Round (179th overall), Seattle
Devaughn Vele, 7th Round (235th overall), Denver
 

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