On the surface, Patriots Efton Chism III and Mack Hollins don’t appear to have a whole lot in common: Hollins has eight years on 24-year-old Chism, the two receivers hail from opposite coasts of the country, and while Shoeless Mack was drafted in the fourth round, Chism was an undrafted free agent who fought his way onto New England’s 53-man roster last summer.
What the two shared were early mornings at the facilities, perhaps born out of a work ethic from Chism’s small school beginnings and Hollins’ own walk-on experience at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
“That's one of my best friends,” Chism said at training camp, when asked about Hollins. “It started pretty much just waking up early, and he's always there, and I was there. We just started connecting.”
Chism said he and Hollins began carpooling and studying the playbook together.
“Efton’s a baller,” Hollins told reporters earlier in the week, and praised the young receiver for his professional growth as he enters his sophomore season in the NFL.
He made his NFL debut in Week 6 last fall. Ironically, he found most of his production during the regular season when Hollins was out with an injury.
“He’s been an awesome role model. I can’t thank him enough. I appreciate everything he’s done for me.”
Hollins signed with New England in 2025, making the club his sixth team in the league. He appeared in 15 regular season games, accruing 550 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
The Patriots’ receiver room underwent dramatic changes in the offseason. New England parted ways with Stefon Diggs, the group’s leader last season, and signed veteran Romeo Doubs. Then, in a blockbuster-but-much-predicted move, they traded for superstar A.J. Brown.
Chism is battling for a spot in a deep room: in addition to two new players, the Patriots return Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, and Kyle Williams, in addition to rookie free agents like Cameron Dorner.
“I’m starting to understand the NFL. I think every year that's kind of us are competing. We all want to play. We all want to make plays, and that's just the nature of the NFL,” Chism said, when asked about the internal competition.
As long as the two stay on the roster together, they’ll have an accountability partner in the room.
“If he [Hollins] gets on me, I know I'm gonna’ elevate my game, and so I feel like I'm trying to do the same to him and help him get better too,” Chism said.
