Philadelphia Eagles: Does Jordan Mailata have a realistic shot?

It’s a simple question. Does Jordan Mailata have a realistic shot to make the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster?

It’s a nice story and all, but here’s a serious question. Does Jordan Mailata have a realistic shot to make the Philadelphia Eagles‘ 53-man roster? It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which he does.

Much of the NFL universe’s love affair with the six-foot-eight, 346-pound freak of nature came courtesy of social media and the hype machine that comes when highlight reels like the following are created.

Take a look:

Video courtesy of George Ghazal’s YouTube page

A YouTube sensation was created just like that. After some scouting, the Eagles saw fit to trade up in the 2018 NFL Draft and take Mailata with the 233rd pick of the seventh round.

Here’s a quick video courtesy of the NFL’s YouTube page detailing his journey to the draft.

So, what are we to gather from all of this?

Let’s be honest about two things. One, there are some beasts playing rugby, but it’s hard to just pluck a beast out of another country, place him on an NFL roster and expect him to take over. Yes, Mailata is gifted, but the guys he’ll have to battle for a roster spot have played this game a lot longer and don’t have as steep of a learning curve.

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There’s no reason they should be passed over for a roster spot in favor of a guy who, just several months ago, admitted to knowing ‘as little as peanuts’ when it came to his understanding the game.

Mailata is currently expected to compete for an offensive tackle position. ‘The Birds’ have, arguably, the best right tackle in football in Lane Johnson. On the other side, there’s a future Pro Football Hall of Famer in Jason Peters. Then, there’s Halapoulivaati Vaitai and rookie Matt Pryor, as well as a few other guys.

Wait. What if we move him inside?

Maybe, then, Mailata moves inside, but there, he’d have to compete with the likes of Brandon Brooks, Chance Warmack and Isaac Seumalo. If any of those guys lose a roster spot to the big guy from Australia, they should be ashamed of themselves.

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Maybe he lands on the active roster. Maybe he doesn’t. How quickly he picks things up will tell the tale. The offensive line is loaded for the Eagles. At best, we’re probably looking at a guy who will wind up on the practice squad.

From there, we’ll have to wait and see what happens. Injuries happen in the NFL. So do surprises. This story’s just getting started.

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