An extended analysis of the nuclear reaction mechanisms involved within deuterons interaction with Co and Nb is presented. First, the available elastic-scattering data analysis provided the optical potential for reaction cross sections calculations. An increased effort has been devoted to the breakup mechanism, both the elastic breakup and the breakup fusion contributions to the different activation cross sections being carefully considered. Next, the direct reaction contributions, namely the stripping and pick-up reaction cross sections have been calculated. Finally, the preequilibrium and compound-nucleus cross-section calculation, corrected for the breakup and stripping decrease of the total reaction cross section, completed the deuteron activation cross-section analysis. The overall agreement between the measured and calculated deuteron activation cross sections proves the adequacy of nuclear mechanisms suite.