Taco Charlton Bio
Vidauntae “Taco” Charlton is an American professional football defensive end for the Dallas Renegades of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at the University of Michigan and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft. Across his career, Charlton has also been a member of the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, and San Francisco 49ers. He won a championship with the Birmingham Stallions in his first year in the UFL.
Listed at 6 feet 6 inches and 277 pounds, Charlton is a long, athletic edge rusher whose professional journey has carried him through nearly every NFL franchise and into the spring football league. His path from a premature birth in Columbus, Ohio, to a first-round pick and later a UFL title has been defined by both physical tools and constant roster turnover.
Early Life and Background
Vidauntae Taco Charlton was born on November 7, 1994, at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, two months prematurely. His unusual nickname came from his grandmother, who tried to keep his mother from going into labor early by speaking to her daughter’s baby bump and telling him, “you had best not make a run for the border,” a reference to the Taco Bell advertising slogan. The name stuck and has followed him throughout his football career.
Charlton attended Pickerington High School Central in Pickerington, Ohio, where he played as a defensive end, outside linebacker, and tight end. As a sophomore, he collected 35 tackles and 8 pass breakups. As a senior, he was a two-way player, registering 116 tackles with 24 for loss and 19 sacks, while receiving Division I All-Ohio honors. He committed to the University of Michigan to play college football as a four-star recruit. In addition to football, Charlton played basketball in high school alongside future NBA players Caris LeVert, Jae’Sean Tate, and Javon Bess.
Path to American Football
Charlton accepted a football scholarship from the University of Michigan and quickly worked his way into the Wolverines’ defensive rotation. As a true freshman in 2013, he appeared in 10 games as a backup defensive end, playing mostly on special teams while compiling two defensive tackles, with half a tackle for loss. As a sophomore in 2014, he appeared in 12 games with one start, making 19 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and three quarterback hurries.
As a junior in 2015, Charlton played defensive end in a 3-4 defense, appearing in 13 games with three starts, while recording 30 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries, and one forced fumble. As a senior in 2016, he became a starter at right defensive end in a 4-3 defense. He suffered a high ankle sprain in the season opener and missed two games before returning against Penn State University, where he posted three tackles, two for loss, and 1.5 sacks. He finished his senior season with 43 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, two pass breakups, and a team-leading 9.5 sacks, which tied for tenth in school history. He was named to the All-Big Ten Conference defensive first team by both the coaches and the media.
Taco Charlton Career
Early Career (2017–2019, Dallas Cowboys)
Charlton was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round, 28th overall, of the 2017 NFL draft. He was the seventh defensive end selected and the second of eleven players drafted from Michigan. On May 11, 2017, the Cowboys signed Charlton to a four-year, $10.02 million contract that included $7.73 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $5.43 million. He competed with Benson Mayowa, Charles Tapper, and Damontre Moore throughout training camp for a backup defensive end position.
Charlton made his regular season debut in the Dallas Cowboys’ season-opener against the New York Giants and recorded his first career tackle the following week against the Denver Broncos. He recorded his first career sack against the Kansas City Chiefs and added two tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble against the Washington Redskins. He appeared in 16 games as a backup, posting 19 tackles, one pass defended, one forced fumble, 11 quarterback hurries, and three sacks. In 2018, he started seven games at right defensive end opposite DeMarcus Lawrence before a shoulder injury limited him to 11 games. In 2019, after a strong preseason that included three tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery against the Houston Texans, he was a healthy scratch for the first two games and was released by the team on September 18, 2019, in one of the shortest tenures for a first-round draft pick in franchise history.
Miami Dolphins (2019–2020)
On September 19, 2019, Charlton was claimed off waivers by the Miami Dolphins. He made his debut in Week 3 against his former team, the Dallas Cowboys, recording two tackles and one sack. In Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Charlton recorded six tackles and a sack on quarterback Philip Rivers. He started five games and finished as the team’s leader with 5 sacks, adding 21 tackles and two forced fumbles. On April 30, 2020, Charlton was waived after facing competition from five new defensive ends that the Dolphins acquired through free agency and the 2020 NFL draft.
Kansas City Chiefs (2020–2021)
Charlton signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on May 4, 2020, and recorded his first sack as a Chief in Week 2 against the Chargers during a 23–20 win. In Week 4 against the New England Patriots, he forced a key fumble on Brian Hoyer during a 26–10 win. He suffered an LCL sprain in the sixth game against the Buffalo Bills and a fractured ankle in the ninth game against the Carolina Panthers, which led to a placement on injured reserve on November 21, 2020. He appeared in 7 games, making 7 tackles, 2 sacks, and 4 quarterback hurries while serving as a situational pass-rusher. Charlton re-signed with the Chiefs on March 22, 2021, and was released on August 23, 2021.
Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, and San Francisco 49ers (2021–2023)
Charlton was signed to the practice squad of the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 21, 2021, was promoted to the active roster on November 2, and appeared in 11 games for the Steelers. On April 4, 2022, he signed with the New Orleans Saints, was released on August 30, and was re-signed to the team’s practice squad the following day. On November 16, 2022, the Chicago Bears signed Charlton off the New Orleans Saints practice squad to their active roster, and he was waived on December 28. On January 2, 2023, the Jacksonville Jaguars signed him to their practice squad, and his contract expired after the season. On August 1, 2023, Charlton signed with the San Francisco 49ers, was placed on injured reserve on August 19, and was released with an injury settlement on August 26.
Birmingham Stallions Era (2024)
On March 19, 2024, Charlton signed with the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League. In his first season in the spring league, he helped the Stallions win the UFL championship, earning a title in his debut UFL campaign.
Dallas Renegades Era (2025–Present)
On April 16, 2025, Charlton signed with the Arlington Renegades of the UFL. On January 14, 2026, he was drafted by the Dallas Renegades. The move placed him back in a Dallas market that had once drafted him in the first round of the NFL draft, and he continues to play defensive end at the professional level.
Driving Style and Strengths
Charlton is a long, 6-foot-6 edge rusher whose primary strength is attacking the passer from the outside. He is most effective in passing situations, using his length and first-step quickness to pressure quarterbacks, while his run defense has been more limited throughout his career. His experience in both 3-4 and 4-3 defensive schemes at Michigan has allowed him to adapt to varied role responsibilities at the professional level.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his signature moments, Charlton recorded his first career sack against the Kansas City Chiefs as a Dallas Cowboys rookie and posted a preseason stat line of two sacks and two forced fumbles against the Houston Texans in 2019. His biggest milestone came in 2024, when he won the UFL championship with the Birmingham Stallions in his first spring football season.
Taco Charlton Career Wins
Across his professional career, Charlton’s most prominent team triumph is the 2024 UFL championship with the Birmingham Stallions. Beyond that title, his résumé features a long string of regular-season contributions rather than additional championship hardware.
Other Wins and Performances
Charlton’s other notable performances include a five-sack season in 2019 with the Miami Dolphins, where he led the team in that category, and a 9.5-sack senior season at Michigan that placed him in the Wolverines’ all-time top ten. Across his NFL career, he recorded 95 total tackles, 11.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 3 pass deflections.
Taco Charlton Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Publicly available information about Charlton’s family background centers on his Columbus, Ohio, roots and the origin of his nickname. His grandmother’s playful “run for the border” phrase became the basis for the “Taco” nickname that has followed him from birth into professional football.
Personal Life
Charlton was born and raised in the Columbus, Ohio, area and attended high school in nearby Pickerington. Further verified personal-life details, such as marital status or children, are not publicly confirmed in the reviewed sources.
2025 Season Performance
Charlton spent the 2025 season with the Arlington Renegades of the UFL after signing with the team on April 16, 2025. As a veteran defensive end, he served as a pass-rushing presence on a Renegades roster rebuilding for the spring season. The campaign allowed him to continue his professional career in a starting environment following his 2024 UFL title with the Birmingham Stallions.
On January 14, 2026, Charlton was drafted by the Dallas Renegades, the team’s rebranded identity for the following UFL season, returning him to the Dallas market that originally selected him in the 2017 NFL draft. The move gives the Renegades an experienced edge rusher with a decade of professional football experience.