Philadelphia Eagles roster: Why is Mailata so much better than Dillard?

Here’s an answer everyone watching the Philadelphia Eagles has searched for.

One of them is a former first-round draft choice that was widely regarded as, at minimum, the second or third-best left tackle of his draft class. His name is Andre Dillard. The other one is a seventh-round draft choice from Australia who never played football until three years ago, one Jordan Mailata. Both are part of a story that Philadelphia Eagles fans will get old and tell their grandchildren about one day.

Would you believe the Australian became a better football player than the highly-touted NFL Draft choice? Gather around the campfire boys and girls. Have we got a story for you!

If you would have told us that, after the Eagles selected Dillard 22nd-overall, he’d be the backup to the former rugby player heading into 2021, we probably would have laughed at you. That’s the type of story you take to Hollywood producers, and it gets thrown out for lacking realism, but you all saw it. We all did.

Jordan Mailata entered the 2021 season, and he beat out Dillard for the starting left tackle job. Truth be told, that should never happen, but it did. The questions are obvious. What in the hell happened here? Why is Jordan Mailata so much better than Andre Dillard? Fear not! We’re thrilled that you asked the question. Here are two answers for why that’s the case.