Philadelphia Eagles: Jordan Mailata is picking up some steam

Philadelphia Eagles seventh-round draft pick Jordan Mailata has exceeded expectations so far.

Not all is ugly on the Philadelphia Eagles offense this preseason. After three, not so pretty performances by the defending Super Bowl Champions, there’s not much to rave about when it comes to the offensive side of the ball. Fortunately, there have been signs of promise deeper down the depth chart these past few weeks. And one name that has picked up a significant amount of buzz this preseason has been Eagles seventh-round draft pick, Jordan Mailata.

We all knew that Mailata would come into the NFL and pick things up quickly. After all, he has a very impressive college tape. Wait, just kidding. Somehow, Mailata has picked up the game of football at 21-years-old and has been holding his own at a professional level for the past few months. After Thursday’s game against the Cleveland Browns, Mailata is really starting to turn his doubters into believers.

The former Australian Rugby star came out of nowhere, as NFL scouts convinced many front offices to take a look at the six-foot-eigh-inch giant. Well, the Eagles clearly saw enough in Mailata to want to spend a late-round draft pick on him, rather than attempt to sign him as an undrafted free agent. While many scratched their head over the selection, the Eagles front office is just gushing over what they already knew about Mailata before he ever even put on the pads.

Can he really make the team?

“What’s the point of this pick, he’s just going to get cut anyway.” You might’ve heard that a few times during the Eagles seemingly uneventful 2018 NFL Draft. Well, Mailata seems to be making strides that nobody believed he could do. After three week’s of actual gameplay, the roster hopeful has found himself trending up, as many of his teammates are trending south. Check out what former NFL offensive lineman, Brian Baldinger had to say about Mailata’s recent developments.

If Baldy said it, we believe it. We can’t possibly question a former offensive lineman who spent eleven years in the NFL as an undrafted free agent as well. So, here’s the proof, and a small sample of what Mailata has done this preseason. We have to take it all with a grain of salt since he wasn’t facing someone like Myles Garrett. But knowing that this kid has played the game of football for less than six months makes this all ten-times more interesting.

Seeing other veterans on the team at the tackle position struggle, there should be no reason why Mailata can’t make this team. It’s doubtful that Mailata would clear waivers in order for the Eagles to send him to the practice squad. Therefore, must remain on the team.

It’s apparent that the Eagles understand he’s a project in the works and it’s going to take more than a single offseason to get the best that he can offer in the trenches. If final roster cuts were today, Mailata makes this team, no doubt.