Who Should I Start? Devaughn Vele or Elic Ayomanor

Wednesday, August 20, 7:13 PM

The New Orleans Saints have acquired wide receiver Devaughn Vele from the Denver Broncos for a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round selection. Vele was a seventh-rounder in 2024 who exceeded expectations as a rookie, catching 41 of 55 targets for 475 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games. However, the former Utah standout's role in the Denver offense diminished late in the season as Marvin Mims Jr. started receiving more targets. With Mims, Courtland Sutton, and Troy Franklin all returning and rookie third-rounder Pat Bryant coming in this year, the Broncos have decided to move on from Vele for a solid return on investment. Going from Bo Nix to either Spencer Rattler or Tyler Shough will be a major downgrade at quarterback for Vele, but he could be a bigger part of a Saints offense that doesn't have much at receiver after Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Brandin Cooks.

Saturday, August 23, 11:36 AM

Wide receiver Elic Ayomanor started and caught all three of his targets for 25 yards in Tennessee's preseason-concluding victory against the Minnesota Vikings on Friday. The rookie from Stanford already has developed a connection with Titans quarterback Cameron Ward and looks to be carving out a role for 2025. Ayomanor set up a touchdown with a red zone target on Friday, a week after hauling in a 47-yard pass from Ward. Though Calvin Ridley is all but sure to be the Titans' No. 1 receiver, Ayomanor's competition for playing time is journeyman Van Jefferson and fellow rookie Chimere Dike, making immediate playing time look realistic.