The Oakland Raiders and their fans already know what fullback Marcel Reece can do on the football field. The former University of Washington wide receiver converted to fullback with the Raiders so that he could have a better chance at sticking around in the NFL. Since making that change, Reece has gone from a guy with a long shot chance of making the roster, to one of the Raiders' biggest offensive weapons.
With good size and shocking speed, Reece is a defensive coordinator's worst nightmare in the passing game. Too fast to be covered by linebackers and too big to be covered by corners, Reece creates mismatches that allow hi tone a big play threat in the passing game. But while the Raider Nation have known to for a while now, the rest of the nation is finally catching on.
In an ESPN Insider piece (you must be a member to read it), Reece is named the 9th most versatile player in the AFC. ESPN does a good job of noting that not only is Reece a major threat in the passing game, but also that he has made big strides on the run game. Despite being a wide receiver in college, Reece has become a solid lead blocker in Oakland's run first offense. And though he rarely carries the ball, when he does, he explodes through the line of scrimmage and always gets positive yards.
Now that Reece is entering his fourth year in the NFL, he will likely see more and more time with the ball in his hands. He is the type of threat that will not be used a ton, but when he is used, he has the potential to break a game open with his surprising speed, good hands and great football ID. This is a guy that has the potential to change the way the fullback position is used in the NFL.