Wide receiver issues are nothing new for the New England Patriots; the position group has struggled going all the way back to the days of Bill Belichick. The last couple of seasons, however, were particularly bleak: while, yes, the quarterback play left plenty to be desired as well, the team also failed to get consistent contributions out of its wideouts both on and off the field.
In order to address those issues, the Patriots made a couple of free agency acquisitions at the position. One of those was Mack Hollins, who should help address two of the biggest problems that have plagued the unit: playmaking ability on the perimeter and veteran leadership.
Hard facts
Name: Mack Hollins
Position: Wide receiver
Jersey number: 13
Opening day age: 31 (9/16/1993)
Measurements: 6’4”, 221 lbs, 33 1/4” arm length, 9 3/4” hand size, 4.53s 40-yard dash, N/A Relative Athletic Score
Experience
NFL: Philadelphia Eagles (2017-19), Miami Dolphins (2019-21), Las Vegas Raiders (2022), Atlanta Falcons (2023), Buffalo Bills (2024), New England Patriots (2025-) | College: North Carolina (2012-16)
A wide receiver and part-time defensive back at Wootton High School in his hometown of Rockville, MD, Hollins did not just flow under the radar as a recruit, he wasn’t even on it. After not receiving any scholarship offers, he spent a postgrad year at Fork Union Military Academy before joining the University of North Carolina as a walk-on in 2012.
After redshirting as a true freshman and playing exclusively on special teams in his second year in Chapel Hill, Hollins became one of the most reliable receivers in UNC history. Over his final three seasons with the Tar Heels, and despite missing half his senior campaign with a broken clavicle, he caught 81 passes for 1,667 yards and 20 touchdowns.
The one-time second-team All-ACC selection (2015) eventually made the jump to the NFL as a fourth-round selection by the Eagles in 2017. As a rookie, he contributed 17 catches and a touchdown during the team’s Super Bowl campaign but failed to take the next step over the coming seasons; he missed his sophomore campaign with a groin injury and was waived during his third year in Philadelphia.
Hollins was claimed off waivers by the Dolphins, with whom he spent the next two and a half seasons and was named captain once (2021). After five years as a role player, he finally had a breakout season in 2022: playing under now-Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’, he caught 57 passes for 690 yards and 4 touchdowns in 16 starts with the Raiders.
His stats took a hit again in 2023 with the Falcons, but he partially managed to rebound during his 2024 campaign in Buffalo. In total, Hollins has seen action in 118 regular season and playoff games and hauled in a combined 168 passes for 2,182 yards and 16 TDs.
Scouting report
Strengths: Standing at 6-foot-4 and 221 pounds, Hollins is a big-bodied receiver who knows how to make the most of his build. He has shown the ability to out-box defenders at the catch point and time his jumps well, and can also extend his radius to be a factor even on off-target throws; smaller defenders will have a hard time covering him 1-on-1.
He also uses his size well as a blocker. Hollins is aggressive at the point of attack, and generally playing the position with a blue-collar attitude; he is willing to put his body on the line to fight for yards.
In addition to his size, Hollins also has some surprising fluidity in his lower body. He is fairly quick off the snap and does not take long to reach his maximum speed. He also goes through his breaks smoothly, and is particularly capable working back toward the football. He also has a feel for finding soft spots in zone coverage, and can successfully stack defensive backs in man-to-man situations. He also is a good player on off-script plays due to his understanding of offenses’ scramble rules.
Hollins furthermore is a quite versatile player; he is capable of lining up both on the outside and on the inside as a big slot, and has been a quality special teams performer since his start at UNC. He also has been praised for his leadership skills, off-field personality and willingness to work on his craft. One example is his drop rate: after posting a drop rate of 7.5 percent over his first five non-injured seasons in the NFL, he has stood at just 1.2 percent over the last two years.
Weaknesses: Hollins has good size and adequate movement skills, but is not the most explosive or smooth athlete. His burst and straight-line speed are comparatively average, while his change of direction and general agility are nothing to write home about either. He is not the most deceptive route runner and is also somewhat limited as a yards-after-catch player; Hollins has forced just six missed tackles and posted an average YAC of 3.2 over the course of his NFL career so far.
He also tends to be too overeager as a blocker; while able to move bodies in the run game and on screen plays, his overaggressiveness sometimes leads to inadequate attack angles and penalties.
2024 review
Stats: 20 games (15 starts) | 853 offensive snaps (65.7%), 1 defensive snap (0.1%), 131 special teams snaps (25.4%) | 56 targets, 36 catches (64.3%), 482 yards, 6 TDs | 1 kickoff return, 38 yards | 2 special teams tackles, 1 fumble recovery | 1 drops (1.8%), 1 missed tackle (33.3%), 2 penalties
Season recap: Despite coming off a rather nondescript season with the Falcons that saw him catch only 18 passes for 251 yards, Hollins signed his biggest contract up to that point in free agency 2024. The Bills gave him a one-year, $2.6 million deal — marking a slight increase in average annual value compared to his previous contracts.
Despite the financial arrow pointing up, Hollins was not brought to Buffalo to be much more than a role player. He still managed to end up as one of the Bills’ most reliable and productive pass catchers and a starter-level wideout.
Among his position group, only Khalil Shakir and Curtis Samuel finished the season with more combined regular season and playoff catches than his 36, while his 482 yards trailed only Shakir. His 6 total receiving touchdowns, meanwhile, topped not just Buffalo’s wide receivers but all skill players on the roster.
Over the course of the 2024 season, Hollins managed to develop a nice rapport with quarterback Josh Allen. After averaging only 2.4 targets and 0.9 catches over the first two months of the season, those numbers increased to 3.1 and 2.4, respectively, over the remainder of the year.
And while not necessarily a standout performer from a volume perspective, he did make several big plays for the team and was quite effective as the following numbers compiled by Cover 1 illustrate: among wide receivers with at least 50 targets in 2024, Hollins ranked third in first down percentage, 14th in EPA per target and 15th in positive play percentage.
As far as role players are concerned, Hollins was one who managed to positively contribute to his team for much of the season — and in more ways than one: he also saw semi-regular action on four special teams units and registered a pair of tackles as well as a fumble recovery. In all, his 2024 campaign therefore marked a bounceback of sorts compared to his 2023 season in Atlanta.
2025 preview
Position: Starter-level X-WR | Ability: Fringe starter/Role player | Contract: Signed through 2026
What will be his role? Hollins has been an irregular starter throughout his NFL career, but he projects to play a prominent role within the Patriots’ wide receiver group in 2025. He will compete with top-level reps at the X-receiver spot with the likes of Kayshon Boutte, Javon Baker and rookie Kyle Williams this summer, and due to his experience overall and within a Josh McDaniels offense in particular looks like the team’s No. 1 perimeter option at the moment.
What is his growth potential? Even though there have been definitive flashes, Hollins’ career as a receiver can best be described as inconsistent. That is precisely where his potential for positive development heading into his ninth season in the league lies: if the Patriots put him in a position to be successful, like the Raiders did in 2022, he might be able to become a more consistent contributor.
Does he have positional versatility? Hollins is a moderately versatile player. While his general skillset limits his usage to a degree — he won’t receive many handoffs or screen passes, for example — he has been productive against man and zone coverage and is positionally flexible on both offense and special teams.
What is his salary cap situation? Hollins signed a two-year, $8.4 million deal in March that is carrying a cap hit of $4.05 million this season. That number consists of $2.75 million in full guarantees — a full $2 million salary guarantee plus his $750,000 signing bonus proration — as well as $850,000 and $300,000 in roster bonuses and incentives, respectively, classified as likely to be earned. It also features a $150,000 workout bonus.
How safe is his roster spot? His contract situation as well as the composition of New England’s wide receiver group means that Hollins can be considered a safe bet to be on the team come the regular season. His role is somewhat TBD at the moment, especially considering that he has been limited during offseason workouts so far, but he was signed to play a part on offense and — depending on his workload on that side of the ball — special teams as well.
Summary: A two-birds-with-one-stone receiver due to his abilities both on and off the field, Hollins is not the same big-name addition like fellow wideout Stefon Diggs. That being said, he too has the potential to positively contribute this season and help lay the foundation for the wide receiver room’s future.
What do you think about Mack Hollins heading into the 2025 season? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.