Over the next few weeks leading up to training camp, we’ll be counting down the top 25 most important Eagles for the 2024 season.
25. Brandon Graham
24. Nakobe Dean
23. Milton Williams
22. Jake Elliott
21. Nolan Smith
20. Cooper DeJean
19. Reed Blankenship
18. Tyler Steen
17. Devin White
16. Quinyon Mitchell
15. Jordan Davis
14. Landon Dickerson
13. C.J. Gardner-Johnson
12. Dallas Goedert
11. Josh Sweat
10. Bryce Huff
9. Cam Jurgens
8. Saquon Barkley
7. Darius Slay
6. DeVonta Smith
5. Jalen Carter
4. Jordan Mailata
Less than a decade ago, Jordan Mailata didn’t even really know what American football was. And now he’s one of the top five most important players on a Super Bowl contender.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
That’s made-for-a-movie type stuff.
But there’s no question that Mailata is one of the best tackles in the NFL and he’s still just 27 years old and has 57 starts under his belt. Last season, Mailata started all 17 games for the Eagles and was the only player to play all 1,147 offensive snaps.
In their ranking of the top offensive tackles in the NFL going into 2024, ProFootballFocus ranked Mailata at No. 5 behind just Trent Williams, Tristan Wirfs, Penei Sewell and Christian Darrisaw:
“Philadelphia’s left tackle got off to a terrific start in 2023, as he was PFF’s second-highest graded offensive tackle after eight weeks. And at that point, he was the only player at the position with run-blocking and pass-blocking grades of at least 84.0. While he was unable to continue that form for the entire season, he still finished the campaign with an 84.8 overall grade that ranked third at the position.”
News
In 2024, Mailata gave up 46 total pressure but just 3 sacks and was the Eagles’ highest-graded pass blocker and their second-highest-graded run blocker, according to PFF. While the Pro Bowl and All-Pro accolades haven’t yet followed, Mailata took a jump last season into the top tier of NFL offensive tackles.
The Eagles saw it too. And this offseason, they signed Mailata to a three-year extension worth $66 million that will keep him under contract through the 2028 season. Based on APY ($22M), Mailata is the fourth-highest paid left tackle in the NFL behind Laremy Tunsil, Andrew Thomas and Trent Williams.
While the Eagles lost Jason Kelce to retirement this offseason, they should still have a strong offensive line anchored by Mailata and Lane Johnson at the two tackle positions.
This summer, on a delayed honeymoon in Italy, Mailata finally took some time to reflect on his journey over the last 7 years. He said he thought it was important to recognize how far he’s come.
As much as Jeff Stoutland and the rest of the Eagles coaches and players have helped Mailata achieve his success, no one deserves more credit than him. Mailata left Australia to follow his dream and now he’s one of the best tackles in football.
“Part of it is the way I was raised by my parents and my siblings,” Mailata said. “I recognize the opportunity that I have every day when I step foot into this building. It’s an incredibly humbling one because I came from humble beginnings. When you recognize the opportunity that you have, you want to take full advantage of it. But you also have to remember where you come from.”
Subscribe to Eagle Eye anywhere you get your podcasts:
Apple Podcasts | YouTube Music | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | RSS | Watch on YouTube