Most of the Falcons’ offseason acquisitions addressed the defensive side of the ball, but the offense didn’t go unaddressed. Atlanta’s first two draft picks were of the offensive variety and a couple of free agent pass catchers joined them. This continues my series of exploring what each addition brings to the club, moving onto Mack Hollins.
Check out any other parts of the series if you’ve missed them!
- What does Jessie Bates bring to the Falcons?
- What does Calais Campbell bring to the Falcons?
- What does David Onyemata bring to the Falcons?
- What does Kaden Elliss bring to the Falcons?
- What does Bud Dupree bring to the Falcons?
- What does Jeff Okudah bring to the Falcons?
- What does Jonnu Smith bring to the Falcons?
- What does Taylor Henicke bring to the Falcons?
Mack Hollins
The one area of this team that is constantly brought up as a glaring need is wide receiver, but Mack Hollins might not be getting the respect he deserves.
No, he’s not going to lead the league in yards or touchdowns, but the Falcons don’t need him to do that. Atlanta will run the ball a lot out of multiple running back and tight end sets, which negates the receiver’s value in this offense.
Kyle Pitts and Drake London will command the largest share of targets. Then, there are the secondary options of Jonnu Smith, Cordarrelle Patterson, Bijan Robinson, and Hollins. That’s a lot of mouths to feed.
Still, Hollins is no slouch. He finished the 2022 campaign with nearly 700 yards and four touchdowns on 57 receptions. The veteran is entering his seventh year in the NFL and had multiple options in free agency but chose Atlanta.
The Falcons aren’t exactly a dream destination for free agent wide receivers, but that weeds out those players who aren’t willing to do the dirty work to win football games — not Mack Hollins. The big-bodied receiver cut his teeth on special teams and carved out a full-time role doing the little things like run blocking.
“I definitely feel like I can bring another high-powered receiver to the offense but also play a significant role in the run game,” Hollins said, via the team’s website. “I’ve had that in my career where I’ve been a run blocker and I know when you have a high-powered run and pass game, it’s hard to stop an offense.”
The Falcons will depend on Mack Hollins to contribute in ways that don’t always show up on the stat sheet but nevertheless are critical to the offense’s overall success.
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Photographer: Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire
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