Eagles talk: Does Mack Hollins deserve more snaps?
Eagles rookie wide receiver Mack Hollins created some buzz around his name last Sunday.
When the Philadelphia Eagles drafted rookie receiver Mack Hollins, he was only expected to impact the special teams in year one. After an impressive offseason and a breakout game in the preseason, the Eagles fan base has become heavily interested in Hollins.
The young wide receiver out of the University of North Carolina was mostly talked about because of his special team’s abilities. Although the NFL draft analysts described him as a ‘poor mans Mike Evans‘ Hollins has proved that he is much more than a special teams ace and another man’s clone.
When you think of Hollins, you automatically go back to the first drive of the preseason. Hollins caught a pass from Carson Wentz and took it in for a 38-yard touchdown after breaking two tackles in the open field. Since that first drive, Hollins hasn’t made much of an impact. That was until week two of the preseason against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Return of the Mack…
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The last thing any rookie wants to be is a preseason superstar. Rookies that are drafted know that they have to make an impact every time they step onto the field. Any opportunity that they don’t take advantage of can help find themselves a spot on the bottom of the depth chart. Hollins might not be on the level of Alshon Jeffery yet, but he has been a great substitute for the veteran.
Last Sunday, Hollins played enough snaps to be able to grab his first NFL catch. He caught all three passes that he was targeted on for 32 yards. Now, the numbers don’t exactly jump out at you, but at this time during the game, every single catch was crucial.
The bottom line is that Hollins seems to be very reliable for Wentz. To say that Hollins has the tools to be a great receiver is an understatement. His 6’4″ size and quick speed create mismatches all over the place. Not to mention he has excellent hands and it is very rare that he drops the football.
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Head coach Doug Pederson will most likely ease Hollins into more of a consistent role later down the line. Right now he seems comfortable with the veterans that they signed during the offseason. So there is no guarantee that Hollins sees more snaps immediately. But sooner than later he could slowly start picking up more playing time.