Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Rookie expectations vs. performance
By Rob Leeds
Expectations
Vaughn put together a decent career during his time at Vanderbilt and had an impressive highlight tape that showcased reliable power and surprising speed.
Even with his impressive college numbers, most analysts were shocked when the Buccaneers took Vaughn during the third round. There were numerous other backs available that had generated more significant buzz, yet Tampa Bay still took a shot on Vaughn.
As the preseason inched closer, many fans believed that Vaughn would step into the third-down role in the Buccaneer backfield as a replacement for Dare Ogunbowale. Tom Brady loves throwing the ball to running backs, and Vaughn was prematurely handed that crown based on a heavy dose of optimism.
Production
Vaughn is a rare miss for the Buccaneers in the early rounds of their recent drafts. The rookie running back has played a minimal role outside of one game, and the Buccaneers look like they overestimated Vaughn’s abilities during the draft.
Vaughn isn’t just not playing the third-down role; he isn’t playing at all. With only eight rushes and four receptions on the year, Ke’Shawn Vaughn has mostly been a non-factor for the Buccaneers outside of a touchdown.
There is still time left for Vaughn to change the narrative, but carving out a role from Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette going forward will be extremely difficult.