Eagles OT Jordan Mailata Named Team's Most Underappreciated Player
The Philadelphia Eagles' offensive line has emerged as one of, if not the best in football recently.
This offensive line features two All-Pros in right tackle Lane Johnson and center Jason Kelce, arguably the best players at their respective positions. There's also left guard Landon Dickerson, who earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 2022. Then there's left tackle Jordan Mailata, who has been very effective as well but hasn't earned the recognition some of his teammates have.
Mailata, an Australian native and the biggest success from the NFL's International Player Pathway Program, has been a staple up front since joining the Eagles in 2020. Last season, he started 16 games and earned a 76.5 grade from Pro Football Focus, one of the highest marks among offensive tackles. Despite his strong showing, Mailata did not receive a Pro Bowl invite in 2022.
That snub has led to Mailata garnering a reputation as an underrated player. In fact, NFL.com named him as the Eagles' most underappreciated player ahead of the 2023 season.
"According to computer vision, Mailata was able to keep defenders away from runners behind him -- or to the two gaps to either side of him -- longer than any other left tackle in 2022," NFL.com writes. "PFF gave him the ninth-best overall grade among all tackles last season. I really like tracking Mailata, as the former rugby player is still new to this game. Thus, he's probably still a ways away from peak performance, which is frightening for all Eagles opponents."
While Mailata may fly under the radar for some, the Eagles themselves see how valuable he truly is. Prior to the 2021 season, Philadelphia signed the offensive tackle to a four-year extension worth $64 million.
So far, that investment has worked out very well, and it will only get better if Mailata continues to develop. Regardless of recognition, Mailata will continue to help his team win in any way he can.
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