DeVaughn Vele, Jonah Elliss fitting in with Broncos
ENGLEWOOD, Col. (ABC4 Sports) – Former Utah stars Jonah Elliss and DeVaughn Vele were both excited to get drafted by the same NFL team last month, the Denver Broncos.
Coming off shoulder surgery in November, Elliss, a third round pick, was not able to participate in team activities with the other Broncos rookies, but he should be fine by training camp.
“I’m just taking it day by day right now,” Elliss said. “I had it [surgery] back in November. But right now I’m just taking it day by day, and the training staff is great. So I’m just listening to them, whatever they do.”
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Elliss relied on his three brothers, Kaden, Noah and Christian, who are all in the NFL, for advice heading into his first rookie camp. Elliss also sought out the wisdom of his dad Luther, who played 10 seasons in the NFL, including the final one with the Broncos.”
“They just tole me to stay calm,” Elliss said. “Everyone in this rookie camp is, you know, a rookie. So everyone’s going to be learning and trying to get through it. So, really just don’t freak out. Just calm down, and we got it.”
Jonah credits his dad, who also coached him at Utah, for his signature spin move that produced 12 sacks last season.
“My dad taught it to me when I was young, but that was kind of before I was an edge rusher,” Elliss said. “Then he kind of helped me refine it.”
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Vele was a 7th round pick, so he’s trying to learn as much as he can to earn a roster spot, even if that means playing on special teams.
“It’s been good,” said Vele, who had 123 catches for 1,689 yards and nine touchdowns over four seasons with the Utes. “It is a lot of vernacular and verbiage that they throw at us. But Utah kind of ran a similar offense the same way that the Broncos run here. So there is not too big of a difference, I’ve just got to get into my playbook.”
Vele already picked out another former Utes receiver, Tim Patrick, to be a mentor fpr him on the team.
“I’ve heard things even when I was at Utah as well.,” Vele said about Patrick, who has missed the last two seasons with injuries. “He’s a great player, and I try to model my game after all the greats. So, it’s good to have somebody that I can look up to and kind of get under his wing.”
Vele was catching passes in minicamp from a Utah rival, former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix.
“He’s a great player,” Vele said about Nix. “I mean, he beat us at Rice-Eccles, so I know what he brings to the table and I’m excited to work with him.”
Vele is trying to work on his timing with Nix so he can be productive when training camp opens in July.
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“That’s the point of this rookie minicamp is to make sure we build that chemistry,” Vele said. “It’s just a lot of practice, a lot of repetition, and a lot of extra work. Putting in extra work is going to help you get comfortable in game situations.”
Both Elliss and Vele have enjoyed being around each other as they transition into the NFL.
“I think he’s very underrated,” Elliss said about Vele. “He’s an athlete. I know he can do everything, so I’m really excited to see him play and show people what he can do.”
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