Running Back – Kansas State

5’6, 176 lbs

Strengths

Vaughn is a smaller running back out of Kansas State. He catches the ball naturally and can be used down the field as a receiver in the passing game. He’s been highly productive in the run game with 25 touchdowns the past two seasons, and over 5.6 YPC during that same span. It’s evident on film watching him guide his way through scrums and seemingly disappear to the defense. Make no mistake though, Vaughn has solid core strength and often does not go down from a single tackler.

Furthermore, his vision and patience may serve him well behind the line of scrimmage. His athleticism flashes from every moment after that and has elite acceleration and lateral agility. He has big play ability and was called on often in both the rushing and receiving game in college. 

Weaknesses

Size. That’s pretty much it.

Your standard running back in the NFL weighs at least 200 pounds coming into the league. With his 5’6 frame, adding 25 pounds of muscle is not an unreasonable request. He’s remained healthy throughout his career with a lot of usage. NFL scouts may knock him due to his size or due to the amount of work that he’s had on his legs throughout college. Finally, Vaughn could use more work in pass-blocking protection as well. 

NFL Fit and Draft Capital

Vaughn may very well be the next Austin Ekeler or Aaron Jones, his play shows that type of potential, as he has good leg drive and has proven capable of a large workload  His size is going to be the deciding factor. His game translates to an every-down back in the NFL, but teams aren’t likely to ever fully hand him over the full load in the running game. This does limit his upside and hinders his draft capital, however, teams are likely to use him in the return game which can help give him more opportunities early on. 

I believe Vaughn shouldn’t be drafted any later than the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. This will leave him as someone everyone will target in the third round of dynasty rookie drafts. Should he fall past the fifth round, he’s likely a priority free agent pickup after your draft concludes.

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