Raiders Showing Why NFL Fullbacks Still Have Importance

The Raiders will consistently use their fullback, Connor Heyward, this season. During the first preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals, we saw the Raiders play out of 21 and 22 personnel from different formations, but a constant was Heyward, whose brother is future Hall of Fame defensive lineman Cameron Heyward of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Fullbacks maintain value in Las Vegas head coach Klint Kubiak's offense. When asked why the position is important to him in his system, Kubiak explained that they have to be among the smartest players on the team, given their variety of roles, not just on offense.

"Running the ball is important, we think that's a huge part of winning football games. Running the ball, stopping the run on defense," Kubiak said after practice. "Just in our scheme, it's a very versatile player. Guy that plays tight end, plays fullback, that can pass pro, that has to be a four-core special teams player, he's got to be one of the smartest players on your team. So, we're going to keep getting Connor [Heyward] and get him better."

I think back to my younger days in middle and high school, and remember the value that Mike Tolbert brought to the Carolina Panthers during their stretch of success in the 2010s. He was light on his feet as a runner, was a quality pass-catcher out of the backfield, blocked very well, and contributed on special teams. In many ways, I think he is the model of what fullbacks can be in a modern NFL offense.

Connor Heyward Already Valuable Member of Raiders Offense

Heyward and rookie fullback Patrick Gurd are both seeing time during the preseason, though the former is expected to be the lone fullback and No. 4 tight end on the roster when cuts are made. I could see Gurd finding a spot on the Raiders' practice squad, but the point here is that the two are valuable pieces of the Raiders' first-, second-, and third-string, especially deeper into camp.

"Yeah, I feel like me and Pat, just not myself, we’re versatile," Heyward explained to reporters. "But everybody on the offensive side, you have to be able to play multiple positions, be able to block. Whether you're a receiver, you guys obviously saw [wide receiver] Jack [Bech] doing that a lot, but we have a lot of capable receivers and a lot of versatile guys on offense. I'm just trying to do my one of 11. You guys might view it as that, but I just view it as doing my job.”

It wasn't until this past year that Heyward settled into being a fullback after being drafted by the Steelers as a tight end in the sixth round of the NFL Draft.

Heyward explained that in his first handful of years in the NFL, he played as a Y-end or F-move end, but feels that playing as a true fullback fits his skill set better than tight end did at the start of his career, thanks to quality control coach Pete Collins.

"And Coach P as well has worked with us and really trying to hone in on our craft and our pad level and continue to run our feet because it's more than just running and trying to create a hole and just run at somebody like a brick wall," Heyward said. "It's caving a hole, and sometimes there's not a hole and you're just going to hit color and the play is sometimes messed up and just playing through the whistle, and that's something that I'm trying to improve on as well."

The art of the fullback position remains valuable and at times nostalgic. Heyward plays a position that is considered an old relic, even they were important 10 to 12 years ago. With the Raiders, it adds another element to account for, similar to how the 49ers have operated for years under head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Teams must account for where Heyward is on offense, whether it is out wide, playing H-back, running back, in-line, or the traditional fullback. He offers the athleticism and physicality of the modern-day fullback, and the lanes he could create for running backs Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington Jr. could bring on a dramatic turnaround in the Raiders' run game and the sanctity of the offense.