ENGLEWOOD – A year ago, Devaughn Vele wasn’t exactly a sought-after wide receiver. That sure changed in the last week.

Vele, primarily due to being 26 at the time, slipped to the seventh round of the 2024 draft before finally being taken by the Broncos with the No. 235 overall pick. But after a rookie season in which he caught 41 passes for 475 yards there was some serious trade interest in him. And on Wednesday, the Broncos shipped him to New Orleans for a fourth-round draft pick in 2026 and a seventh-round selection in 2027.

“The interesting thing with him was two and a third team all called,’’ head coach Sean Payton said after Thursday’s practice at Broncos Park about the interest in Vele. “In other words, we weren’t actively shopping him at all, but teams in need of receivers obviously do a good enough job. They look at the depth of certain teams. And so within like a three-day period, (general manager) George (Paton) and I had gotten calls from two serious teams and a third and all coincidently on (Vele).”

Payton mentioned Jacksonville as another team in the mix. Payton said the decision to trade Vele was a “difficult” one but what sealed it was the Saints including a fourth-round pick.

“When it became a fourth and a seventh, that was certainly something I think George and I both knew if it became a four, that’s something we would do,’’ said Payton, whose Broncos close the preseason Saturday at New Orleans.

The Broncos dealt Vele due to having plenty of depth at receiver and the Saints wanted to land a big receiver. The 6-foot-5 Vele fit the bill.

“They felt they were missing a bigger receiver and they knew we had a number of big receivers,’’ Payton said.

The Broncos’ top receiver is 6-4 Courtland Sutton and they also have 6-3 Troy Franklin and 6-3 Patrick Bryant. The play in training camp and in the preseason of Franklin, a second-year man, and Bryant a rookie, played a key role in Denver’s decision to part with Vele. In Saturday’s 27-7 preseason win over Arizona, Franklin caught three passes for 67 yards and two touchdowns and Bryant had three receptions for 70 yards.

The Broncos also have Marvin Mims Jr. and Trent Sherfield among the five receivers assured to make the 53-man roster. Vele was in line to be a sixth on the roster had he not been dealt.

“We can keep six receivers (but) we’re probably only going to get five to the game,’’ Payton said. “(Vele) may have been going to the game, but there would have been discussion as to out of the six, (which five would be active).”

Payton said his assistant Pat Kelly did research and determined Vele was the 26th player dealt by a Payton-coached team in his 15 seasons with the Saints and since he became Denver’s coach in February 2023. He said there have been “10% that are difficult” and “this was one of those 10%” because Vele has “all the things that we look for: discipline, structure, smart, tough, talented.”

While Payton coached New Orleans between 2006-21 and is very close to Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, he said it was “coincidental” that’s where Vele landed. He said Loomis also has a good relationship with Paton.

“(Vele) was fantastic when we visited with him (about the trade),’’ Payton said. “He’s going to be a real good player for them.”

Former Broncos star receiver Rod Smith, who was at Thursday’s practice, said he really likes Vele but understands why the deal was made.

“It’s a really good deal to trade a seventh-round draft pick after one year and you can trade him for a seventh and a fourth when you have replacements,’’ Smith told The Denver Gazette. “It’s a really good deal, but personally I just like (Vele). He had an excellent rookie season. I was a huge fan of Vele. I just saw his work ethic and hunger.”

Smith, though, realizes that Vele is 27 while Bryant is 22.

“Pat Bryant made it easier for them to move on being a young big body,’’ Smith said. “He made some heck of plays in the opportunities he had.”

Smith talked to Payton during Thursday’s practice. So what did he say to him?

“As I told coach, the competition at all positions is great,’’ Smith said. “He’s going to have a hard time letting some very good talent go.”

The Broncos by Tuesday must get down to their initial 53-man roster for the regular season, which gets underway Sept. 7 against Tennessee at Empower Field at Mile High. The Vele move enables the Broncos to keep a player they otherwise would have to expose to waivers or free agency.

The Broncos have depth at numerous positions. Among the key roster situations they are facing on offense is whether to keep three quarterbacks and whether to keep three or four running backs. On defense, the secondary is loaded and difficult roster decisions loom.

“It’s going to be tough, the roster cuts that are coming up,’’ starting safety Brandon Jones said Thursday. “I’m glad I’m not put in that position because it would be really, really challenging.”

One difficult decision was out of the way Wednesday when Vele was dealt. Next week, there will be a bunch more.