We know that Jordan Mailata is huge — he stands at 6-foot-8 and weighs in around 350 pounds. We know that he's athletic — a former rugby player, Mailata's got a ton of strength and some surprising speed for someone of his stature. And we know he can sing as well as anyone we've heard throughout the NFL.
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But do we know exactly how good the 24-year-old mauler can become as he continues to develop as an offensive tackle? No... but several people are certainly optimistic about what the future holds. Jimmy Kempski of Philly Voice described Mailata as a "brick wall against power" in pass protection and a "bully" in the run game, and he thinks the Australian can become a "well above average starting LT in 2021." Beyond that, he didn't say anything definitive.
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That's where Merrill Reese steps in. Joining Dave Spadaro on the latest episode of the team's "Eagles Insider Podcast," the longtime voice of the Eagles explained just how high he is on Mailata going forward, among other topics.
"I truly believe that, whether it's this year or next year, I think that Jordan Mailata is going to be a perennial All-Pro," Reese said. "I think that's the way he's developing, I think that's the path he's on. I think he has the size, the strength, the desire, the intelligence and a love for the game — a former rugby player who has fallen in love with American football, and I think it's going to show in years to come."
Mailata has only played in 15 games to date, so this is a pretty bold stance to take, but Reese is about as trustworthy as it gets in the realm of Eagles football. After all, he was able to watch a perennial All-Pro at left tackle in Jason Peters — who made some level of All-Pro roster in every season from 2007 to 2014 (save for 2012) — up until 2020. There are fewer commodities in the NFL that are more valuable than a consistently dominant left tackle, and should Mailata become that, it will be massively important for the success of this iteration of the Eagles.
Reese isn't only high on Mailata along the offensive line.
"Am I optimistic? Of course I'm optimistic," he said. "I can look at the offensive line and see Lane Johnson, Brandon Brooks, Jason Kelce, Isaac Seomalo and Jordan Mailata and say, 'you know what, those are five good pieces.'
"I mean, that's a very, very good offensive line as it stands right now."
Reese was also excited about some other elements of the team — including Devonta Smith and veteran tight end Zach Ertz, who he opined is "in the absolute prime of his career" — but is not ready to go too far with his optimism.
"I have a feeling when I look at the roster, I can look at this team on paper and say that they're pretty good. I mean, they're pretty good on paper," Reese said. "We do not really know what the schemes are going to be like because we haven't seen them during the preseason. We haven't seen enough of the young regulars in game situations to really project."
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