Cowboys Draft Deuce Vaughn: Dynasty Rookie Outlook (2023 Fantasy Football)

The 2023 NFL Draft is here! After months of waiting, we finally know where the 2023 NFL Draft class will land. This information shapes the outlook for rookies in 2023 and beyond. We’re going to have you covered throughout and following the 2023 NFL Draft to help you prepare for your fantasy football leagues. Next up for many will be dynasty rookie drafts. To help you prepare to make your dynasty rookie draft picks, let’s dive into Matthew Jones’s 2023 NFL Draft profile as well as Pat Fitzmaurice’s dynasty rookie draft outlook for Deuce Vaughn.

Dynasty Rookie Picks & Predictions: Cowboys Draft Deuce Vaughn

Let’s first see what NFL Draft expert Matthew Jones says about Deuce Vaughn.

Matthew Jones’s 2023 NFL Draft Outlook

Background:

Split carries with Harry Trotter and quarterback Will Howard as a freshman, finishing with 123-642-7 (5.2) and adding 25-434-2 receiving. Took over the feature back role the following year and went 234-1,409-18 (6.0) with 49-468-4 receiving in his most efficient season, then totaled 293-1,558-9 (5.3) and 42-378-3 this past year before declaring.

Positives:

Highly productive back who’s shown that he can carry the load. Shows solid knee bend and a low pad level. Runs with patience and shows impressive burst when a hole opens. Has clean footwork behind the line of scrimmage and shows impressive suddenness to make defenders miss when he gets into space. Works well in congestion. Shows some ability to pinball off of contact and pick up additional yardage. Runs with determination and strong leg drive, doing a better job of pushing the pile than anticipated. Was trusted with goal-line carries and proved himself to be a solid finisher. Has excellent ball security, with just two career fumbles. Experienced receiver who was a big part of his team’s passing game, occasionally motioning out to the slot as well, often making himself available for screens in package plays; can be a threat down the field as well, running wheel routes down the sideline. Willing to stick his nose in and take on blockers, albeit not always with form; also led the way in the running game at times.

Negatives:

Frame is very small for a pro back, and some teams may have concerns about the amount of tread he’s accumulated. Able to fall forward at the end of his runs, but probably won’t break many tackles at the next level. Contact balance as a blocker is about what you’d expect given his size; willing to deliver blows, but often gets the worse of the exchange. Doesn’t present his quarterback with a big target in the passing game, so may need to play with a passer who has precise ball placement.

Summary:

One of the most productive backs in the class, and who runs with patience, burst, suddenness, and a surprising amount of power for a player with his frame, having been a bigger part of his team’s passing game than many of his peers in the class. However, although he plays bigger than his size, is much smaller than usual for a pro running back, which will likely limit him to a third-down/change-of-pace role at the next level. Should come off the board in the mid-rounds.

2023 Dynasty Rookie Draft Outlook: Deuce Vaughn

As Lloyd Christmas once said, “So you’re telling me there’s a chance!” Could Vaughn bypass Ronald Jones, Malike Davis and Rico Dowdle on the Dallas depth chart to become the primary complement to starting RB Tony Pollard now that Ezekiel Elliott is no longer in the picture? It’s ambitious to think that an undersized sixth-round draft pick could fill that role, but Vaughn is a unique talent.

It will be interesting to see what sort of role the Cowboys have planned for the 5-5, 179-pound Vaughn. The obvious NFL comparison is fellow Kansas State product Darren Sproles, a 5-6 scatback who had a 15-year NFL career, racking up 553 career receptions and 8,392 yards from scrimmage while also making his mark as a kick returner. Vaughn’s ultra-productive college career suggests he’s capable of carving out a Sproles-type NFL career. In his final two college seasons at K-State, Vaughn had 2,962 rushing yards, 27 TD runs and 91-846-7 receiving. He’s a patient, shifty runner and an accomplished pass catcher. The obvious question is whether the diminutive Vaughn can be a fantasy-viable NFL running back. If so, he’ll probably have to do it the same way Sproles did — primarily as a pass-catching specialist. And since Pollard is a good pass catcher, Vaughn might not see much third-down work.

In dynasty rookie drafts, Vaughn is worth considering as a calculated final-round gamble.