The fullback position is nearly dead in the NFL. With the league becoming more and more of a passing league, fullbacks have been pushed to the side and we are seeing more receivers on the field. However, that doesn’t mean fullbacks don’t have value.

The Raiders have seen the importance and the value of fullbacks in the past with a player like Marcel Reece. But since his departure, the Raiders haven’t been able to replace him. However, Oakland may have found its next fullback of the future in Alec Ingold.

Ingold played in 51 games for the Wisconsin Badgers, blocking for one of the best run games in all of college football. According to Pro Football Focus, Ingold was the highest-graded fullback in the country with a run blocking grade of 78.9.

#Raiders UDFA signing Alec Ingold ranked 1st among all FBS fullbacks in 2018 with a 79.7 rushing grade, and 1st with a 78.9 run blocking grade ☠️ Upgrade your football knowledge with PFF:https://t.co/tLuFupIiH8 pic.twitter.com/nbYHlIeeYj — PFF OAK Raiders (@PFF_Raiders) May 17, 2019

Under Jon Gruden, the Raiders want to have a smash-mouth run game. While the team signed Keith Smith last season, he just isn’t a punishing blocker. That just so happens to be Ingold’s specialty. Look for Ingold to challenge Smith for a starting job in 2019.