The Philadelphia Eagles enjoy a wealth of talent at the wide receiver position as A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith lead one of the best units on the outside that the NFL has to offer.
While the defending champions are, essentially, locked and loaded at that position now, that wasn't the case in recent years as the franchise searched far and wide for its next stud, or in this case, studs, to take the lead in the wide receiver room.
One of the players whom the Eagles brought in as a fourth-round draft pick no longer calls Philadelphia home, but he looks to be making a statement in training camp with his new team in the AFC North.
Former Eagles WR Mack Hollins Pushing for Starting Role on Patriots
Eagles fans may not remember the name Mack Hollins. It would be hard to blame them if they didn't, honestly. In his two seasons in Philadelphia, the former fourth-round pick out of the University of North Carolina appeared in 28 games, racking up just 351 receiving yards and one touchdown on 26 catches.
Now, Hollins finds himself in camp with the New England Patriots, and it is looking like the veteran could be a big piece of the puzzle on the outside for Mike Vrabel and company. According to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, the former Eagles draft pick returned from New England's PUP list and was immediately inserted into the rotation at the top of the depth chart at the wide receiver position.
Initial thought after the 8th practice of Patriots camp (walkthrough): WR Mack Hollins is off PUP and right to the upper levels of the depth chart (e.g. slicing into some of Kayshon Boutte’s reps).
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) July 31, 2025
This offseason, Hollins signed a two-year, $8.4 million contract with the Patriots that included a signing bonus of $1.5 million and $3.5 million in total guaranteed money. Franchises don't hand out contracts like that to veteran free agents unless they are confident that the player will not only be competing for, but winning a job out of camp.
Hollins will need to turn back the clock a bit to live up to the expectations New England has for him as the veteran wideout's best season as a professional came during the 2022 campaign, as the wideout started in 16 of the 17 games he appeared in and recorded 57 receptions for 690 yards and four touchdowns.
If the 31-year-old wideout can accomplish that, he stands a good chance of being one of the players depended upon by Patriots QB Drake Maye.