{"id":42732,"date":"2018-04-24T18:15:12","date_gmt":"2018-04-24T22:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=42732"},"modified":"2018-04-24T18:15:12","modified_gmt":"2018-04-24T22:15:12","slug":"jacob-hollister-new-england-patriots-rookie-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2018\/04\/24\/jacob-hollister-new-england-patriots-rookie-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Jacob Hollister \u2013 New England Patriots Rookie Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re talking New England Patriots<\/a>, odds are you\u2019re probably talking Rob Gronkowski<\/a><\/strong>. Fair enough considering he\u2019s been making headlines with his non-committal answers about returning to the team next season. Given his attitude, many analysts are betting the Patriots draft a new tight end in the 2018 NFL Draft. It also seems that many are forgetting about some tight end talent the Patriots already have stock in: Jacob Hollister<\/a><\/strong>, last years rookie out of Wyoming.<\/p>\n

Reviewing Jacob Hollister\u2019s Rookie Impact on the New England Patriots<\/h1>\n

Following last year\u2019s draft, the Patriots loaded up on rookie free agents<\/a>, bringing in names such as Adam Butler<\/a><\/strong> (who helped patch a hemorrhaging front seven<\/a>), Harvey Langi<\/a><\/strong>, and both Jacob and Cody Hollister<\/strong>. How often do two brothers get picked up by the same team?<\/p>\n

Jacob Hollister, 23, played 30 games at Wyoming, raking in over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns. For the Patriots, whose tight end lineup at that point was limited to Gronkowski and Dwayne Allen<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 as well as sixth-round draft pick James O\u2019Shaughnessy<\/strong> \u2013 Hollister would provide some much-needed depth. After all, Gronk isn\u2019t super reliable when it comes to injuries and Dwayne Allen is\u2026well\u2026Dwayne Allen. Ultimately Hollister won the third-string spot over O\u2019Shaugnessy, who was released from the Patriots before the start of the season.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, when you\u2019re playing behind NFL veterans like Gronk and Allen, there\u2019s only so much playtime you\u2019re going to get. That isn\u2019t to say that Hollister didn\u2019t show off his skills when he got the chance to, though.<\/p>\n

The Good<\/h2>\n

Comparing preseason stats is by no means a true measure of an athlete\u2019s ability, especially when comparing any player to an outlier like Gronkowski. However, it’s worth noting that Hollister\u2019s rookie preseason was pretty good in comparison Gronk’s rookie preseason efforts.<\/p>\n

In 2010, Gronkowski pulled in eight receptions for 109 total yards (13.6 average) and four touchdowns. Hollister raked in 12 total receptions for 146 yards and one touchdown \u2013 roughly 12.2 yards on average – during his rookie preseason.<\/p>\n

Sure, that\u2019s less than Gronk\u2019s career average, but it\u2019s nearly four more yards per reception than Allen\u2019s. Hollister\u2019s preseason highlight came against the Jacksonville Jaguars<\/a>, where he brought in seven receptions for 116 total yards. After dropping a pass from Jimmy Garoppolo<\/strong><\/a>, Hollister would proceed to catch his next six targets<\/a> for 115 yards.<\/p>\n

Hollister didn\u2019t see much action on offense during the regular season, but he did play on nearly 40% of the kicking unit\u2019s snaps and racked up four special teams tackles. During the postseason, Hollister saw one reception that didn\u2019t go anywhere.<\/p>\n

The Bad<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s difficult to gauge exactly how useful Hollister would be if Gronkowski or Allen went down on the field. His preseason numbers were good for a rookie, and it isn\u2019t realistic to expect him to fill a Gronk-sized hole. Hollister was able to beat out a sixth-round pick for a third-string position, but he remains untested on the Patriots offense. He has some issues tackling, but his work on special teams has helped remedy that issue.<\/p>\n

Last Word on Jacob Hollister<\/h2>\n

Even with his lack of experience and the learning curve, Bill Belichick<\/strong> seems impressed with the young player. \u201cI\u2019m not saying he\u2019s got it all down,” Belichick says<\/a>, \u201cBut I\u2019d say he\u2019s picked up a lot of things at the tight end position, which as we\u2019ve talked about, is not the easiest position in our offense to learn\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Hollister will likely remain a reserve option for the team\u2019s tight end rotation, but he has some competition. The Patriots recently signed former Arizona Cardinals<\/a> tight end Troy Niklas<\/a><\/strong>. There’s also word that they could draft another tight end in this year\u2019s draft as well. Hollister\u2019s true test will come during this year\u2019s off-season workouts and training camps. He\u2019ll need to prove his mettle if he wants to stay on the depth chart next season. With Gronkowski\u2019s future in question, Hollister\u2019s time to shine could very well be on the horizon.<\/p>\n

Main photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>