'Pro-ready' sixth-round draft pick continues to impress Cowboys HC

Even though Vaughn only stands at 5-foot-5 and 176 pounds, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy indicated he has few concerns about the sixth-round draft pick out of Kansas State, saying he's "pro-ready," in a Tuesday news conference.

"I think Deuce has had a really good camp," McCarthy said. "His work yesterday was off the charts, just the amount of work he had in special teams, so what I'm going to is the versatility. He's really shown excellent versatility from special teams to offense."

Vaughn's versatility will give him more opportunities. Per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News, the 21-year-old will serve as the primary kick and punt returner in the preseason and receive significant playing time on offense.

"I guess the biggest thing you can do is go and cut it loose," Vaughn said in a Tuesday news conference. "Practice, your first two weeks of training camp, you're trying to figure out how to practice as a professional compared to college and just learning from the vets. But now football is football. You got 11 guys on the football field on your side of the ball, going against the other 11 guys, cutting it loose. So I'm super excited for that."

If Vaughn's impressive camp performance translates during the preseason, he could climb the depth chart.

Pro Bowler Tony Pollard is RB1, but Dallas needs a complement to replace Ezekiel Elliott. The NFL recently suspended backup Ronald Jones II for two regular-season games after he violated the league's performance-enhancing drug policy, so Dallas needs someone to emerge.

Vaughn must beat out Rico Dowlde and Malik Davis to secure the role. Nonetheless, it wouldn't be surprising if he does since he keeps defying expectations.