After playing college football for the Oregon Ducks, he was selected by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2000 NFL draft.

Following his playing career, Droughns worked as an assistant coach for the Serbian team Vukovi Beograd,[1] the two-time champions of the Central European Football League (CEFL) from 2010 to 2013.

Droughns was also an accomplished wrestler, winning the CIF-Southern Section title in 1996 (Division I - 189 pounds) during his senior year.

One of his most impressive performances came at UCLA, where he ran for 172 yards and a score despite fracturing his right fibula late in the contest (a 41–38 overtime loss), an injury that would force him to miss the rest of the season.

[9] Droughns was traded to the Cleveland Browns on March 30, 2005, for defensive linemen Ebenezer Ekuban and Michael Myers.

[12] Playing behind starter Brandon Jacobs, Droughns battled Derrick Ward for the back-up job but became the third running back for the Giants as part of a rotation that replaced the retired Tiki Barber.

In what would turn out to be his final NFL touchdown, Droughns scored on a 2-yard run with 1:37 remaining for the winning points in a 21-16 victory on the road against the Chicago Bears, which proved to be critical in helping the Giants advance to the postseasons.

Ware dropped Droughns to fifth on the Giants depth chart at running back, but he managed to make the final 53-man roster playing primarily on special teams in 12 of New York's 16 games.