Mack Hollins is still one of the strangest and most useful pieces in the Patriots’ receiver room.
He’s the guy people notice before he even touches the ball, and not just because of the barefoot walks around Gillette Stadium or the post-practice meals without utensils. New England clearly values the player underneath all that: a veteran wideout who can help Drake Maye near the goal line, block like a tight end, and give the offense something sturdy when the game gets tight.
That’s why Hollins lands at No. 15 in the Patriots’ “Top 25 Patriots of 2026” rankings. The 32-year-old has already been through two Super Bowls, and his value for New England comes from the same place it always has - size, speed, strength and a willingness to do the dirty work.
At 6-foot-4 and 221 pounds, the Rockville, Virginia, native gave the Patriots a big target last season and a reliable one in the red zone. He finished the regular season with 46 catches for 550 yards and two touchdowns, then added six catches for 129 yards and one touchdown across two playoff games. In other words, he wasn’t a volume monster, but he was productive when the Patriots needed him to be.
His impact went beyond the stat line, too. Hollins was a strong blocker in the run game and in pass protection, and that kind of effort has made him a favorite in the building. Head coach Mike Vrabel has taken to that work ethic, and so have teammates who see how much he brings to the room every day.
The Patriots’ receiver group looks very different now than it did when Hollins arrived. This offseason brought in A.J.
Brown via trade, Romeo Doubs in free agency and four undrafted rookies after the draft. Efton Chism III and DeMario Douglas are battling for the top slot role, while Kayshon Boutte is dealing with trade chatter in a contract year.
All told, there are 12 receivers on the roster fighting for what could be just six or seven spots.
Even with all that turnover, Hollins still has a lane. His role should look a lot like it did in 2025: a rotational piece who can be used in red zone packages, work the slot, and help as a blocker.
He doesn’t need to be a 90-target, 85-catch, 1,000-yard receiver for this offense to work, because the heavy lifting figures to come from Brown and Doubs. What New England needs from Hollins is something simpler - steady snaps, veteran presence, and the occasional big play.
And if he happens to turn in a 100-plus-yard game along the way, that wouldn’t be a surprise either.
For a young receiver group with four rookies in the mix, Hollins also brings something less obvious but just as valuable: experience. He’s been in the league since 2017, he contributed on punts and kickoffs in his first season in New England, and he’s the kind of player younger teammates can learn from. In a room full of competition, he still stands out - literally and otherwise.
In Other News...
Patriots Just Took Another Painful Hit To Their Pass Rush
New Englands pass rush took another hit this offseason when KLavon Chaisson moved on after a strong 2025 campaign in Foxborough. The edge rusher gave the Patriots real production, finishing with 7.5 sacks in 16 games and ranking among their most disruptive defenders, which made his departure a notable loss for a defense that has been trying to build more consistent pressure off the edge.
The Patriots have tried to answer that by bringing in DreMont Jones, and there has at least been some early optimism from his spring work. Still, Chaissons exit leaves a familiar question hanging over this group: whether New England has done enough to replace the kind of pass-rush impact it just watched walk out the door. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Just Added A New Tight End Fans Will Recognize
Jeremiah Franklin is getting another look with the Patriots just before training camp, and it comes with a familiar feel for fans who followed him at Boston College. The undrafted tight end first surfaced in New England after rookie minicamp, then waited nearly three more months before the team brought him back on a free-agent deal, a sign the staff wanted more time before deciding he was worth a roster spot.
Franklin arrives with some local familiarity and a solid college rsum, having finished his Boston College career with 93 catches, 1,010 yards and six touchdowns. The next question is how much he can separate himself in a tight end room that needs bodies and competition, especially with the team still sorting through what it wants from the position as camp gets underway. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Vrabel's Latest Patriots Press Conference Left Fans Rolling Their Eyes
With training camp getting closer, Mike Vrabel made his latest Patriots press conference a little less ordinary by showing up with a German Shepherd puppy named BB, decked out in a Patriots jersey. The scene was meant to be light, but it also came at a time when every move around the new head coach is getting extra attention, especially with New England trying to settle into a new era under him.
Vrabel is still the man in charge as camp approaches, even as the noise around him has not fully gone away. There have been questions swirling beyond the football field, and the optics of a puppy-filled media session only added another layer to a situation that already has fans watching closely for how the Patriots handle the next stretch of the offseason. [Read more 🡒]