The Dallas Cowboys selected Deuce Vaughn with their 212th pick in the NFL draft yesterday.
He is a smaller running back but was productive at Kansas State. He will be very useful in the passing game and seems to glide around the field.
He had 1,936 yards from scrimmage with 12 touchdowns. The season before, he had 1,872 yards and 22 touchdowns. He made big play after big play.
Yes, the moment his father, Chris Vaughn, the Cowboys college scout, called him was awesome; let’s not think that is the only reason they drafted him. He balled out as a wildcat.
We all know Dallas moved on from Ezekiel Elliott this off-season, so replacing him with Vaughn might bring a different style, but it will help.
He should back up Tony Pollard, with Malik Davis and Ronald Jones seeing their reps also. The only problem with the current backfield is the ability to pass block.
Vaughn might be the best draft pick for the Cowboys this season.
Mazi Smith, the team’s first-round pick, will likely be the most productive right away because of the Cowboys’ awful run defense, and he was a first-round pick.
Smith will fit right in between Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. He has excellent strength, bench pressing 34 reps on the 225-pound bench.
As the year goes on, we will see Vaughn make a few game-changing plays with what he brings to the table, even as a rookie.
Vaughn was not heavily recruited out of Cedar Ridge High School in Texas, where he rushed for 4,405 yards during his career.
Of the Power Five schools that wanted to bring him in, only K-State wanted him to be an every-down running back.
In 2021, Vaughn became the first Kansas State player voted onto the AP All-America first team in 15 years. He was labeled as an all-purpose player. That year, he was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. AP named him a first-teamer again in 2022.
He has been proving folks wrong for a while now. He will be measured as the smallest player to ever suit up in the NFL. Vaughn will be such a great fit in this offense for Mike McCarthy.
They can do so many different things with him. I would enjoy seeing him and Pollard out there at the same time. Teams would have to expect everything with both of them on the field. Again, my only worry is the depth; we have to pass block.
When someone else comes in, teams may start to understand that Dallas may be passing.
Nonetheless, he is the pick I am most excited about. Others may have a more significant impact from the jump, but expect Vaughn to win a game or two for the Cowboys this season.
We still don’t know how Pollard will recover from his leg injury so Vaughn may get even more reps early on.
With that said, who is your favorite draft pick from the Cowboys this season? I didn’t think they had a great draft, but I hope to enjoy a few of the selected players.