I remember the fan reaction very vividly when Ke’Shawn Vaughn was drafted 76th overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
People were already calling the kid a bust before he even put his draft hat on. Even I will admit, I wasn’t jumping up and down over the pick, especially with a deep receiver class and solid quarterback prospects still available.
But still, some Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans HATED the pick. Vanderbilt just isn’t known for producing high quality running back prospects.
Well on Sunday, he proved everyone wrong, including myself. After the injury to LeSean McCoy, Vaughn came in the game and scored the go-ahead touchdown to give the Buccaneers the victory.
Tampa Bay fans know just how badly the team needed a pass-catching running back, and Vaughn did exactly that.
Ronald Jones II just isn’t that guy. He is a good runner, but he’ll never be a complete back with below-average receiving ability.
I suppose you could say, Vaughn was a sneaky good draft pick after all.
Ke’Shawn Vaughn said when he first got to Tampa, he told teammates he prefers to be called “Sneak.” Therefore, we will call him Sneak.
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) October 5, 2020
Moving Forward
The injury to LeSean McCoy may be a blessing in disguise for the Buccaneers running back room. You always hate to see any player go down with an injury, but it could be the opportunity Vaughn needs to really carve out a role for himself.
If McCoy can’t go on Thursday, I expect Vaughn to get at least seven to eight touches against the Chicago Bears. I predicted that Vaughn would be the James White in this offense. He has a long way to go, but it’s only the start of a solid career in the making.
The draft pick that everyone scoffed over, is going to prove to the NFL that he was worthy of a day two selection.
