Devaughn Vele’s breakout game puts him in rare company

By Ross Jackson

Even though the New Orleans Saints suffered their 10th loss of the 2025 season last week, there were still some important bright spots. One of which, wide receiver Devaughn Vele, has put himself in rare New Orleans company with his performance. 

In the team’s loss to the Miami Dolphins, Vele reeled in eight catches for 93 receiving yards and a touchdown reception. The 93 receiving yards are a career high for the 6-foot-5 pass-catcher and it was the second time in his young, two-year career that he caught eight passes (2024, Week 1) in a game.

What a throw by Shough 🎯

What a catch by Vele 🙌

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/yS9bPOvCmU

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 30, 2025

Those eight catches were collected on just eight targets. He achieved the same 100% catch percentage in his previous eight-catch game, as well. But doing so while wearing a New Orleans Saints uniform in Week 13 made him the first Saints receiver to catch 100% of seven or more targets since Michael Thomas in 2020.

Thomas had an eight-for-eight game with 84 receiving yards in Week 13 of the 2020 season against the Philadelphia Eagles, also in a loss. 

Vele is the first big-bodied pass-catcher at wide receiver since Thomas’ departure to show the potential to be a high-volume passing target. It’s an element that New Orleans has been missing in its offense. While fellow wideout Chris Olave can indeed handle many targets in a game, having a receiver that can manage it with Vele’s frame is a different kind of asset. One that could be complementary to Olave’s game. 

“I think one of the cool things about [Vele] is his understanding of how he pieces into the whole puzzle,” head coach Kellen Moore said of the wideout Monday. “When is he complementary? When is he creating traffic for another guy? Or he’s running this route to open up another receiver on a particular route. I think his global perspective, the best receivers, it seems like those are the guys. You need a couple of those guys on your team.”

The only downside to the performance was that it took 13 weeks and 12 games to all come together. However, that the potential is blossoming at all is still a positive notion for New Orleans. The Saints are focused on developing talent and building the foundation of their future. Rewarding Vele’s breakout game by making him an emphasis in future gameplans is an absolute must for the team moving forward.