There’s no question that Rob Gronkowski is the New England Patriots number one tight end, but there’s a real battle for the number two tight end spot. Incumbent Dwayne Allen is the favorite heading into camp, while Troy Niklas could usurp him as should Allen be a cap casualty. However, second-year tight end Jacob Hollister holds the highest ceiling and could emerge with the starting job alongside Gronkowski.
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New England Patriots X-Factors: Jacob Hollister
After arriving in Foxboro as an undrafted free agent last off-season, Hollister earned a roster spot due to his stellar pre-season. The then-rookie showed a willingness to go over the middle, make tough, contested catches, and separate down the middle of the field. Per Pro Football Focus, Hollister was the highest ranked tight end in the 2017 pre-season.
While his regular season stats weren’t that impressive, there were certainly positive takeaways from Hollister’s rookie year. For one, he spent the entire season on the active roster. An NFL roster spot is an incredibly valuable thing, and he wouldn’t have stuck around all season had the Patriots not believed in his ability.
Additionally, Hollister showed that he was the second-most athletic tight end on the team, trailing only Gronkowski. Hollister recorded the second catch of his career in Week Three against the Houston Texans, but it didn’t come easy. Running up the seam, Hollister took one of the hardest hits anyone took all season, yet he was still able to hold on to the ball. With this play, Hollister showed that his ability to come down with hard catches wasn’t a pre-season fabrication.
On top of that, the Patriots experimented with utilizing Hollister’s athleticism in the running game. In Week 16 against the Buffalo Bills, the Patriots ran an end-around with Hollister. While the play only picked up five yards, the fact New England even had this play showed how the coaches view his athleticism.
Can Hollister Round Out His Game?
If Hollister was such a great athlete, then why didn’t he see more time on the field? Dwayne Allen struggled as a receiver in 2017, so Hollister should have had a path to playing time. However, while Hollister showed promise as a receiver, his work as a blocker was not NFL-caliber.
At 6’-4”, 240 lb, Hollister is undersized relative to the typical NFL tight end. It’s no secret that blocking at the NFL level is one of the hardest adjustments for college players to make, and that struggle was only magnified with Hollister’s lack of size.
Bill Belichick requires his tight ends to be at least adequate NFL blockers. Dual-threat tight ends of the past like Aaron Hernandez weren’t elite blockers by any means but were still capable of holding their own in the trenches. Hollister wasn’t capable of doing that, and thus, playing time was scarce.
However, there is hope for Hollister entering 2018. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Hollister has spent the off-season adding bulk to his frame. Naturally, adding weight gives more strength, making one harder to move in the trenches. Hollister’s official weigh-in isn’t available to the public, but the eye test alone shows that he’s added muscle this off-season.
Last Word on Jacob Hollister
Adding size alone won’t be enough for Hollister, as he also needs to have the technique to match. There’s no way to truly know how effective a blocker he is until the games start, but he doesn’t need to be a great blocker to stick around. He only needs to be not terrible.
There’s plenty of reason to believe Hollister can be a pass-catching threat. According to several reports, Hollister was catching everything in sight during minicamp and OTA’s. If he can build on his receiving abilities, it will only make him an even more dangerous weapon.
The Need For a Second Tight End
History shows us that the New England Patriots offense is highly dependent on the availability of Rob Gronkowski. Gronkowski has missed considerable time with injuries, and the backup tight end has oftentimes determined the ultimate success of the season. The offense suffered a minimal drop with players like Aaron Hernandez and Martellus Bennett but struggled immensely with guys like Scott Chandler and Michael Hoomanawanui in the top spot.
Hernandez and Bennett were both receiving tight ends first and foremost, but both had the ability to be decent blockers. While Hollister will probably never be the type of blocker Bennett was, he could be a Hernandez-caliber blocker. Add in the expected growth in the passing game from year one to year two, and Hollister could be a serviceable backup to Gronkowski.
Ultimately, Hollister needs to grow a lot, both as a receiver and a blocker, to adequately fill the number two tight end spot. While he could easily grow into the receiving role, his work as a blocker is the biggest obstacle moving forward. Just like last year, Hollister’s success will ultimately be determinec by how he performs in the pre-season. Until then, there’s no way to know if he’ll be the number two tight end or out of a job come Week One.
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