Wide receiver Mack Hollins fell to the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, and the new Philadelphia Eagles player could play a bigger role than expected.
With the 118th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles selected wide receiver Mack Hollins out of North Carolina. At the time on the NFL Network broadcast, the analysts all shared the same sentiment: Hollins would be a huge addition on special teams with upside as a wideout. They were right about the first part, but that upside might be closer to being realized than expected.
Recently, the Eagles cut Dorial Green-Beckham after the once high draft pick of the Tennessee Titans failed to prove his NFL caliber talent again. He didn’t pan out, which was surely a factor in Philadelphia cutting him. However, Hollins’ presence may have also played a part.
According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Caplan, Hollins and second-year wide receiver Marcus Johnson inspired enough confidence this offseason already that the Eagles felt comfortable letting Green-Beckham loose:
2 reasons why #Eagles cut DGB: Team high on 2nd-year WR Marcus Johnson (really strong offseason), rookie Mack Hollins.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) June 30, 2017
When you simply look at the physical specimen that Hollins is in addition to how he plays, it’s not hard to see how coaches would be impressed. Standing at 6-4 and with a solid 210-pound frame, he also posted a 4.53-second time in the 40-yard dash at the Combine. Based on those measurables, it’s hard to believe he fell to the fourth round.
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The reason why that was the case was two-fold. For one, he suffered a knee injury in his final season with the Tar Heels that ended his season early. As for the second reason, when was healthy in previous seasons, he wasn’t overly productive in terms of receptions. His career-high was just 35 back in 2014.
However, that’s not Hollins’ game. The former Tar Heel is a big-bodied downfield threat, which he more than put on display in the 2015 season. Yes, he caught only 30 balls, but he averaged over 24 yards per reception on the year, in addition to finding the end zone eight times.
Obviously the Eagles addressed the vertical passing attack with the free-agent addition of Torrey Smith. Hollins isn’t going to supplant him, or likely even come close. However, the rookie wideout can provide defenses with nightmares in sub-packages and in a substitute role as another downfield option for Carson Wentz to look for.
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While draft analysts may have initially tucked Hollins away as a special teams player exclusively, things are already shaping up differently. As of now, he’s looking like a player who was undervalued and could contribute in multiple facets of the Eagles game right away. Training camp and the preseason will be more enlightening in that regard. But for now, expect to see the rookie on the field more often than you may have before.