Is midnight about to strike on Dallas’ 2023 Draft Cinderella story

In the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys made a pick that had everyone reaching for a tissue.

Deuce Vaughn, a running back out of Kansas State, is the son of the Cowboys’ college scout, Chris Vaughn, who got to make the call to tell his son they’d be commuting to work together.

At 5-6, Vaughn is a very small back. He was instantly compared to Darren Sproles, who had also played college ball at Kansas State.

But like Hunter Luepke, who’d been compared to John Juhn, Vaughn was never used by the Cowboys the way many had expected.

He has only played in 14 of the Cowboys’ 34 games since being drafted, seven in each season. Unlike Luepke, he has never started a game.

Vaughn has 40 career carries for 110 yards and no touchdowns. He has 10 career catches for just 58 yards.

In 2024, he had 70 yards on 17 carries and three receptions for 18 yards.

Vaughn has four career punt returns, all in 2023, for 19 yards.

As the roster stands today, only he, Luepke and Malik Davis are listed at running backs under contract in Dallas. Vaughn has two years remaining on his contract, which will pay him a combined $2.2 million. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent after the end of the 2026 season.

He has value in the Cowboys’ backfield, but only if properly utilized.

It’s on head coach Brian Schottenheimer and offensive coordinator Klayton Adams to figure out how best to do that. If they can’t, it’s a waste of money and a roster spot.

Roster Review 2025: Deuce Vaughn. This is Part 6 of a series. Click here for a list of all related articles.

Outlook For 2025

Vaughn could have been a valuable weapon on special teams if not for the accession of KaVontae Turpin as a Pro Bowl returner.

As a blocker, Vaughn is a liability. The same goes for tackling.

His lone hope for 2025 will be if Dallas can work him in as a Sproles-type player.

Vaughn can easily get lost in the wash, he’s that small.

No disrespect intended, but the first time I saw him out on the practice field in Oxnard I thought someone had let their kid go out and run with the adults.

That’s not a slight, because his stature can be an advantage. Again, if the Cowboys can scheme it correctly.

If they do, Vaughn will have his best year as a pro.

If they don’t, then midnight might just start sounding on this Cinderella story very soon.

Long-Term Outlook

I hate to use the word bleak, especially when I like a particular player.

But once Vaughn’s contract runs out in Dallas, assuming he isn’t cut before then, I just can’t see anywhere that Vaughn can stick in the NFL.

You’ve got 300-pound behemoths running like track stars. And hitting like Sherman tanks.

At best, Vaughn can be a part of a limited package and see maybe five to ten snaps a game.

Not too many NFL rosters can afford to use a roster spot that way, or have the salary hit on the cap with such a limited return on investment.

Hopefully, Vaughn and his dad can enjoy these next two years.

Because “The End” of this story is coming sooner rather than later. Unlike the original Cinderella story, this one probably won’t have a happily ever after ending to it.

If there is one good thing to come from this failed experiment, it is that it should serve as a cautionary tale against nepotism in professional sports.

Jerry Jones’ nepotism has filled the Cowboys front office with people who are incapable of making solid judgments in relation to the entire franchise.

This is why this team has not sniffed a Super Bowl or a conference title game in three decades.

Someone with no family ties needs to be in charge and making the decisions. Until this changes, nothing else will.