Ron Jenkins/Getty ImagesHEIGHT: 5'5 1/4"
WEIGHT: 179
HAND: 9 1/2"
ARM: 27 3/4"
40-YARD DASH: N/A
3-CONE: N/A
SHUTTLE: N/A
VERTICAL: 35.5"
BROAD: 9'8"
— Great acceleration and burst. Rips through the line of scrimmage and second level.
— Very good top-end speed. Can separate from the pack once he gets a runway.
— Good explosion and agility. Twitchy mover in the open field.
— Excellent pass-catcher. Shifty route-runner with wonderful hands, even in light traffic.
— Historically small build. Shortest player in NFL Combine history and in the 1st percentile for weight among RB prospects.
— Can be a little stiff in the hips at times.
— Poor balance and strength. Cannot move piles or fight through contact for extra yardage.
2022 STATISTICS
— 14 G, 293 ATT, 1,558 YDS (5.3 AVG), 9 TD; 42 REC, 378 YDS, 3 TD
— DOB: November 2, 2001
— 3-star recruit in 2020 class, per 247 Sports' composite rating
— Two-year starter, three-year contributor
— 2020 Big 12 Freshman of the Year; 2021 and 2022 second-team All-Big 12
Deuce Vaughn is a historically small running back prospect who may have enough athleticism and pass-catching skill to stick in the NFL.
Let's get Vaughn's size out of the way first. At a hair over 5'5" and 179 pounds, Vaughn will instantly be the league's smallest back by a wide margin. While relatively built for someone his height, 179 pounds is still well below the threshold for a primary NFL back. He doesn't have the bulk to survive a heavy NFL workload, at least not for very long.
Vaughn's size also shows up when it comes to strength. Vaughn is an energetic runner, but he doesn't have the raw strength to push through tacklers. He's quick to go down on first contact, especially if a tackler catches him clean. Vaughn also has little to no ability to push piles and fall forward through defenders. In turn, Vaughn's work between the tackles and in short-yardage will be suspect in the NFL despite some of his other impressive qualities.
As for those impressive qualities, Vaughn is a fantastic athlete. He is twitched all the way up, both as a north-south runner and as a make-you-miss type. Vaughn flies through the second level when he gets a crease, often erasing tackling angles instantly and giving himself a chance to rip off a long run. Vaughn also has the lateral explosion and feel in space to one-cut defenders out of their shoes without losing much forward momentum.
Additionally, Vaughn is a ready-made pass-catcher. He is an explosive mover in the open field and has a natural sense for how to work his routes around defenders. Better yet, Vaughn shows excellent hands and the ability to adjust to errant throws. Vaughn flashed catches both outside his frame and in some light traffic, proving he can handle just about any pass-catching assignment.
If Vaughn were four inches taller and 15 pounds heavier, he would be a Day 2 pick without question. The speed, twitch, and pass-catching skills he shows on film are easy to fall in love with. However, Vaughn is a major outlier when it comes to size, and that hurts his ability to be a lead back and puts his longevity in jeopardy. Vaughn will have to be a change of pace and pass-catching back, but he can be a very good one if his body continues to hold up.
GRADE: 6.2 (High-Level Developmental Prospect/Round 5)
OVERALL RANK: 173
POSITION RANK: RB16
PRO COMPARISON: Dion Lewis
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