Cowboys select RB Deuce Vaughn in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft
The Dallas Cowboys are riding running back Tony Pollard as the lead horse going forward. Veterans Ronald Jones and Rico Dowdle were signed to add to the competition for RB2 with Malik Davis, but the Cowboys have thrown another name in the hat. With the 212th pick in the sixth round, the Cowboys selected Deuce […]
The Dallas Cowboys are riding running back Tony Pollard as the lead horse going forward. Veterans Ronald Jones and Rico Dowdle were signed to add to the competition for RB2 with Malik Davis, but the Cowboys have thrown another name in the hat.
With the 212th pick in the sixth round, the Cowboys selected Deuce Vaughn out of Kansas State.
Vaughn may be a small man at 5'5" and 179 pounds, but defenses had a hard time with his speed and elusiveness. He was the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2020 after he ran for 642 yards and racked up another 434 receiving and nine total touchdowns. He also was named second-team All-Big 12.
In 2021, Vaughn repeated as a second-team All-Big 12 performer and received Consensus All-American honors as he ran for 1,404 yards and 18 touchdowns and caught 49 passes for 469 yards and four additional scores.
Vaughn would leave college football with a bang. He ran for 1,558 yards had 378 yards receiving, and scored 12 total touchdowns and led the nation with 1,936 all-purpose yards. He was named second-team All-Big 12 and a Unanimous All-American
Despite his small stature, Vaughn isn't afraid the run between the tackles, and if there's even a slight bit of daylight, he shoots through with 4.44 speed. He can make defenders miss at ease, and if he gets on the edge, he's leaving defenders in the dust.
Vaughn's traits will be a nice complement to what Pollard does.
Tyler Browning of Ato Z Sports breaks down Vaughn:
Long Speed: Projected to run around a 4.43, which is good, but not elite. It would put him in the 84th percentile for all RBs. Ball Security: Had 3 fumbles in his career, one per season. Does not appear to be a big concern with Vaughn. Keeps the ball tight, the one fumble I saw came off of a combo hit. Creativity: Sudden COD ability allows him to create when opponents are in the backfield, before he has even gotten the ball. Lacks any real reps of him creating out of structure, but his COD leads me to believe he is capable. Strength: Doesn’t particularly have a big lower body, to run through arm tackles. Nor, does he have a big upper body at 5’6. Fails to run through most arm tackles. Strength is not a strong suit.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic on what Vaughn brings:
Built lower to the ground than a fire hydrant … uses his smaller stature to his advantage, patiently hiding behind blockers and causing defenders to lose their sightlines … runs with an instinctive feel for lane timing/development … quick backfield feet to avoid the trash and alter his run track … his lower-body agility comes from 12 years of playing soccer … routinely jumps out of low tackle attempts … doesn’t allow big plays to go unrealized (four plays of 60-plus yards in 2022) … nice job on wheel routes and was often targeted 10-plus yards downfield (at his best on “Fresno” option routes) … holds Kansas State records for career catches (116) and receiving yards (1,280) by a running back … mastered ball security technique to minimize potential fumbles (only two career fumbles) … top-notch intangibles (earned captain status in 2022) and grew up around the game as the son of a coach and scout … smaller player, but durable and played in every game the last three seasons, including 30 straight starts … joined Darren Sproles and Tyler Lockett as the only Kansas State players to surpass 5,000 career all-purpose yards