Deuce Vaughn had a stellar collegiate career at Kansas State and was selected by the Cowboys in the sixth round of the draft.
His stature is the reason he wasn’t picked higher, as he is only 5’5” and 179 pounds.
Still, he is one of only seven players since 2015 that had college seasons of 1,400+ rushing yards as well as 400+ receiving yards in one season.
He can do it all but Dallas has a crowded backfield and he will have a hard time getting touches.
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At Least On the Depth Chart
Vaughn is currently fourth on the Cowboys’ depth chart at running back but at least he’s on it.
Ezekiel Elliott is gone but it’s not outside the realm of possibility that he comes back, albeit on a much smaller contract. If that happens, it lessens the chance Vaughn makes the team.
In front of him on the depth chart are Tony Pollard, Malik Davis, and Ronald Jones.
Pollard broke his leg last season but still rushed for 1,007 yards and averaged 5.2 yards per carry.
Davis rushed for 161 yards last season buried behind Pollard and Elliott but the team plans to use him much more this season.
The Cowboys also signed free agent RB Jones, who only had 70 yards in six games last season but in the previous three seasons totaled 2,130 yards.
Vaughn has his work cut out for him to make the team, much less get real playing time, but his pass-catching ability is a big plus.
Following in Sproles’ Footsteps
Vaughn is following in the footsteps of another short Kansas State running back, Darren Sproles.
In Kansas State history, Vaughn is second to Sproles in rushing yards and all-purpose yards.
The 5’6” Sproles lasted in the NFL for 15 seasons with the Chargers, Saints, and Eagles, and ended his storied career with three Pro Bowls, 3,552 rushing yards, 4,840 receiving yards, and 64 touchdowns.
The Cowboys can only hope Vaughn puts up anywhere near those numbers.
Vaughn will get his chance when rookies report to camp and OTAs begin. He’s a dynamic player that set a slew of records with K State but fell to the sixth round because of his size.
He ranks third in Big 12 history in games with 100 or more yards from scrimmage and ranks fifth all-time in the conference in 100+ yard rushing games.
The guys in front of him?
Ricky Williams, Cedric Benson, Adrian Peterson, and Sproles. Not bad company.
Proving them Wrong
Despite his stellar college career, Vaughn was only the 14th running back taken in the 2023 draft.
He has a lot of work to do to make the Cowboys team and get reps in the backfield but he is ultra-talented, despite his small stature.
Time will tell if he’ll be a draft steal like Sproles was when he was taken in the fourth round in 2005.