INDIANAPOLIS — The Las Vegas Raiders finished 3-14 last season, and new head coach Klint Kubiak is looking to fill a role that didn’t exist on the team in 2025: fullback.
Kubiak’s offensive system relies on a fullback, a position that has become rare in the modern NFL. The Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints, where Kubiak previously coached, were among the league leaders in fullback usage.
“It is important,” Kubiak said at the NFL scouting combine. “You have to find the right guy, and if you can find that guy, then he becomes a big part of your offense.”
Kubiak has been creative in filling the role in the past. Last season in Seattle, the team converted Alabama blocking tight end Robbie Ouzts to fullback. The year before in New Orleans, the Saints used Adam Prentice and versatile playmaker Taysom Hill.
“They are harder to find,” Kubiak said. “So that’s the fun part right now, especially in the draft, is seeing who is available and who we can develop. Free agent-wise as well. I’d love to play with a fullback, but you have to play with your best 11. So we’re going to be on the lookout for one for sure.”
One candidate is Michigan’s Max Bredeson, a two-time captain who won the 2025 Lowman Trophy Award as the nation’s top fullback. Bredeson, a high school quarterback who moved to tight end and then H-back, met formally with the Raiders this week in Indianapolis.
“I take pride in that I can play anywhere on the field,” Bredeson said. “I like being the make-it-right guy. If something has to be done right, I can do it.”
Bredeson’s transition could be eased by his experience under former Michigan offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, who used a wide zone running scheme similar to Kubiak’s. His tight end background makes him a pass-catching threat, and he is also a top special teams performer, crucial for a player who might see only about a quarter of offensive snaps.
“You have to be able to add value to your team,” he said.
Bredeson also has a family tie: his brother Ben, an offensive lineman, signed with Tampa Bay in 2024 when Raiders general manager John Spytek was in the Buccaneers’ front office.
Running back Ashton Jeanty, who mostly played in single-back sets as a rookie, is open to the change. “I think it could be great,” he said. “Whatever way to design the plays to make them explosive is something I like, so I’m all for it.”
