Mack Hollins just knew Bears were taking Mitchell Trubisky No. 2 overall

When they moved up a pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Mack Hollins had no doubt the Chicago Bears were taking his North Carolina teammate Mitchell Trubisky with that No. 2 overall pick.

Mack Hollins knew Mitchell Trubisky was a baller from their days as college teammates with the North Carolina Tar Heels. So it came as no surprise to him that the Chicago Bears traded up from No. 3 to No. 2 to take the quarterback in the 2017 NFL Draft.

While Hollins won a Super Bowl as a rookie with the Philadelphia Eagles, he too enters unrestricted free agency after four years split between the Eagles and the Miami Dolphins. Though Trubisky did not pan out like Deshaun Watson or Patrick Mahomes in the same quarterback draft class, Hollins feels his former college quarterback’s best days are ahead of him.

Mitchell Trubisky was the apple of the Chicago Bears’ eye at one point

“Actually, when I was watching the draft and they said Chicago is trading up, I turned to my parents and brother and said, ‘They’re going to pick [Mitchell Trubisky]. I guarantee it,’ Hollins told FanSided‘s Mark Carman on behalf of Special Olympics, which is partnering up with 22-year-old Special Olympian Nick Haywood to promote the upcoming 2022 Winter Games in Kazan, Russia.

“And they’re like, ‘Why would they do that because none of the announcers said that?’ And I said, ‘I know that they like Mitch and Mitch is a baller.’ And they got him. So I think Mitch is incredible.”

When asked what will happen to Trubisky now that he is unlikely to return to the Bears after four seasons, Hollins wishes him the best on the next chapter of his career. He believes that playing in a tough environment like Chicago led to his eventual downfall under center for the Monsters of the Midway. However, he feels that success is right around the corner for him in Trubisky’s next stop.

“I think he will. I think that’s a tough place to play, but I can’t make any excuses for him. In a city like that, kind of like I was in Philly, if you’re not winning Super Bowls, you’re not doing enough. So he got drafted higher, kind of in that Tua [Tagovailoa] situation, where if guys lower than him have better stats than him, he’s a bust.

“You look at Mahomes, but did anybody think he was going to be that incredible? So it’s hard to compare, but I think where he goes, Mitch is going to have a great, long career.”

Overall, you never really know what a player is going to become out of college. That is why the draft process is so fascinating. For every first-round bust, there is a diamond in the rough. All an NFL team can do is look at a player’s college tape and project what could translate to the next level. While Trubisky has a winning record, he did not win enough to stay in Chicago.

Where will Trubisky, and Hollins, end up signing in their 2021 NFL free agencies?

Mack Hollins spoke with FanSided on behalf of Special Olympics. In January 2022, Special Olympics will be celebrating a return to international competition at the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Kazan, Russia with 2,000 athletes from over 100 nations competing. Twitter/Instagram/Facebook/LinkedIn – @SpecialOlympics • Hashtags – #InclusionRevolution or #ChooseToInclude • Website – SpecialOlympics.org