Philadelphia Eagles roster battles: Andre Dillard versus Jordan Mailata

The Philadelphia Eagles have an interesting battle brewing at left tackle.

You’ve probably heard this a time or two, but it’s worth saying again. Variety is the spice of life. So is having the knowledge that you have options, but there’s a comfort that comes from certainties as well. They give us a feeling that everything is going to be okay. When the Philadelphia Eagles began preparing for the 2020 regular season, no one knew what to expect, but we, at least, knew who the linemen were (or so we thought).

Second-year man Andre Dillard would take over for the legend Jason Peters at left tackle. Lane Johnson would hold things down on the right side. Isaac Seumalo and Brandon Brooks would man the guard spots, and Jason Kelce would anchor the line at the center position.

Before you knew it, the bottom fell out, and the boat started sinking before the season started. Dillard and Brooks got hurt. Jason Peters was reacquired, first as a guard and, then, after a mini-contract dispute, as the left tackle (again). Once the season began, Philly rearranged their offensive line seemingly every 15 minutes as bodies were falling left and right. Fast forward, and here we are again.

The expectation is the line may look as we thought a year ago at this time, but there’s a new wrinkle. That rugby guy, Jordan Mailata, Philly’s seventh-round draft choice in 2018, has grown by leaps and bounds. Might he beat out Andre Dillard for the starting role? It’s possible, but here’s a narrative that’s developed almost as much as the Australian. Jordan Mailata is the guy many of the fans want in the starting lineup.

Are they right? Only time will tell, but here’s the tale of the tape as we look at one of the more interesting battles we’ll see at camp. We begin with a deep dive into the Australian’s career.