ADF Player Spotlight – Mark Ingram

Mark Ingram – Running Back #21

Baltimore Ravens 

Height: 5-9   Weight: 215   Age: 29

Born: 12/21/1989 Hackensack, NJ

College: Alabama

Experience: 9th season

High School: Grand Blanc HS [MI]; Flint Southwestern Acad. [Flint, MI]

The Past

Since coming into the NFL back in 2011, Mark Ingram has enjoyed varying levels of success with the New Orleans Saints. Being drafted to be the work horse back behind the great Drew Brees, Ingram never fully materialized as that pure three down runner until 2016.

Ingram never found his way to 1000 yards rushing until that 2016 season when the Saints selected that perfect complement in then teammate Alvin Kamara. While it was clear that Ingram possessed a great level of skill and ability, inadequacies on the offensive line and limited workloads attributed to uneven success. His perception wasn’t so highly regarded until the Saints created the league’s best one-two punch over the last three seasons.  

With Kamara by his side, Ingram seemingly flipped a switch and became that power back the Saints had hoped for all these years. While he always possessed good hands, the genius in Coach Sean Payton to exploit that ability from both runners (Ingram & Kamara) left opposing defenses scratching their heads. Knowing that his contract was forthcoming after last season, Ingram recognized this success could bring him one last big payday for his career.

The Future

Having wanted to stay the course and continue the path of playing with the team which drafted him, dollar figures where the biggest obstacle for Ingram and the Saints. While building a Super Bowl roster definitely comes at the expense of available salary cap, Ingram couldn’t fit into the Saints plans moving forward sending him to free agency.

While we completely understand the notion that running backs in the NFL see a massive drop off when hitting the age of 30 years, (Ingram now at 29 years old) has latched on with the Baltimore Ravens to spearhead their run heavy system. Not holding much wear on his tires, Ingram should slot in day one as the primary back in Baltimore where workload should be plentiful.

Out interest in Ingram for 2019 continues to rise with the addition of rookie Justice Hill to the club, as his skillset could prove to resemble that of what was created in New Orleans. Coach Harbaugh is a very intelligent individual that would have no qualms of lifting a formula that was so successful in New Orleans and implementing it in his offensive systems. While we aren’t indicating that Justice Hill will be the next coming of Alvin Kamara, we do have a good level of optimism that a formidable duo can be fashioned with the pair. As seen from his days in New Orleans, Ingram will again be a large piece to the puzzle regardless of who his backup is.

The Outlook & Fantasy Impact

Heading into the 2019 season, Mark Ingram should be viewed as a trusted running back with the potential to lead the Ravens in touches. While Ingram has only managed to hit levels of 230 carries once in his NFL career, we feel this is the offense that could allow him to range anywhere from 220-250 rushing attempts behind second year quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Many continue to speculate that this backfield approach will consist of a three to four headed monster limiting the overall work horse output for Ingram. While its clear Jackson will take some of that rushing prowess away, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill’s roles aren’t as certain. At this point of the offseason we can’t endorse the throwing ability of Jackson to believe this offensive approach won’t be dictated through the run attack lifting Ingram’s overall outlook.

It was seen earlier this offseason that many in the fantasy football community didn’t believe in the prospects of Ingram becoming an RB1 in a Ravens uniform. As we get closer to draft season, Ingram has witnessed a steady rise in terms of average draft position holding firm around the fourth round. Though it’s apparent to us that this ranking is still somewhat low, the value to have Ingram as the 25^th ranked running back should work to your benefit for where he can be selected.

In our eyes, last season with the Saints shouldn’t be viewed as the standard for productivity but rather 2016 and 2017 look to be our benchmarks for Ingram this season. Adding to that, Ingram is extremely reliable in the pass game having caught 50-plus receptions twice in his career and could become a common thread in this offense as well.

If you’re looking for the most bang for your buck at the running back position, it’s hard to argue that Mark Ingram won’t be that player. The potential for a top 10 finish for running backs is definitely here, but we would ascertain anywhere from 10 to 15 for Ingram for the upcoming campaign.