Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Draft Prospect Profile | RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Vanderbilt
Ke’Shawn Vaughn is a running back that played collegiately at Illinois and Vanderbilt. Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, he attended Pearl-Cohn Comprehensive High School. According to maxpreps.com, Vaughn rushed for 2,530 yards and 40 touchdowns during his senior year of high school. He had offers from 20 Division 1 schools but ended up committing to play football at Illinois in February of 2015.
Vaughn is a dual-threat out of the backfield, as he is also a good pass-catcher. Although he is slightly undersized for a running back, his good speed should help him translate his game to the NFL. Vaughn recently ran a 4.51-second 40-yard dash at the 2020 NFL Combine.
As a true freshman playing for Illinois in 2015, Vaughn rushed for 723 yards on 157 attempts and had six touchdowns in 11 games played. He also had 16 receptions for a total of 119 yards.
Vaughn saw his playing time decreased significantly during his sophomore year, as he only had 60 carries for 301 yards and three touchdowns, while also catching nine passes for a total of 89 yards. Following this underwhelming 2016 season, he decided to transfer to Vanderbilt.
Due to transfer rules, Vaughn was forced to redshirt his first season at Vanderbilt in 2017. He finally made his debut for the Commodores in the fall of 2018 and was able to put together an impressive junior season.
Vaughn rushed for 1,244 yards on 157 carries and had 12 touchdowns, averaging 7.9 yards per attempt. He also had 13 receptions for 170 yards and two touchdowns. Vaughn capped off his stellar year by rushing for 243 yards and two touchdowns on 13 attempts during Vanderbilt’s 45-38 loss to Baylor in the 2018 Texas Bowl. He was named the SEC Newcomer of the Year for 2018.
Vaughn decided to return to Vanderbilt for one more year instead of declaring for the 2019 NFL Draft. He became an even more significant part of the passing game during his senior season, as he had 28 catches for 270 yards and one touchdown in 2019, while also rushing for 1,028 yards and nine touchdowns on 198 attempts.
Despite being somewhat small for his position, Vaughn had a successful four-year collegiate career. He was able to use his good speed to burst through holes when he saw them. According to Pro Football Focus,
Vaughn averaged 3.7 and 5.3 yards after contact per carry in 2018 and 2019 respectively. His speed and physicality should help him have an immediate impact on whichever team decides to draft him in April.
Why He’s a Fit
The Giants do not need a starting running back, given that Saquon Barkley is one of the most talented players at his position in the league right now. However, Barkley did miss three games due to an ankle injury in 2019. Wayne Gallman initially took over the Giants’ backfield while he was out, but then he also suffered an injury and just never seemed to get back on track, losing playing time to veteran Buck Allen down the stretch.
Giants’ general manager Dave Gettleman should consider drafting a running back in one of the later rounds to improve his team’s depth at this position. The Giants have nine picks in this year’s draft, including three in the seventh round.
If Vaughn is still available in the fifth or sixth round, he could be the guy who Gettleman ends up drafting to be the new backup to Barkley.
It’s not just about having an insurance policy in the case that Barkley gets hurt again. The Giants need someone who can help take some of the load off of their star running back. Barkley carried the ball 261 times during his rookie season in 2018 and was also targeted 121 times in the passing game.
Although he only played in 13 games in 2019, he still had 217 rushing attempts. If the Giants pick him in April, Vaughn would be a nice addition to their backfield. It’s not like he would be part of a platoon, as Barkley would still get a majority of the carries. However, Vaughn could still play an essential role in the Giants’ running game by giving them another option.
Although running back is not necessarily an area that Gettleman needs to prioritize this offseason, he should still bolster the Giants’ depth at this position. Vaughn would give them a versatile and speedy option to utilize in the running game when Barkley has to take a series off. Vaughn is a guy who could fulfill an essential role for the Giants if Gettleman decides to select him in April.
