4 Philadelphia Eagles not named Jalen Hurts who deserve starting roles

Jordan Mailata might be the left tackle the Philadelphia Eagles need.

When the Eagles drafted Andre Dillard in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, he was expected to take over for Jason Peters at left tackle after essentially redshirting his rookie season save for sporadic appearances. When the Eagles drafted Jordan Mailata in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft, he was seen as nothing more than an international project at best with impressive size and athleticism.

Mailata was a product of the International Player Pathway Program after playing rugby in the National Rugby League in his native Australia.

At six-feet-eight inches and 346 pounds, Mailata is certainly a unit, and what’s more impressive is his natural athleticism. After spending most of the 2019 season on the injured reserve following an impressive preseason, Mailata is finally getting meaningful NFL experience in 2020 thanks in part to the myriad of injuries along the offensive line. With his limited experience and unorthodox journey to the NFL, Mailata has filled his role with great aplomb.

Sure he’s gone through growing pains, but that’s to be expected. The fact that he’s as far along as he is is certainly a good sign going forward. Eagles fans can get used to seeing Mailata towering over the rest of the offense in the huddles of the future if he continues to mature as a player. As for Dillard, perhaps they can kick him out to guard. Then again, that could be a nice role for Mailata. He’s slowly becoming the young left tackle the Eagles desired, even if he isn’t the one they expected.