It’s already been an amazing run for Eagles’ left tackle Jordan Mailata, who has developed from football novice to team captain and leader about to enter his ninth season as a now annual staple on the Philadelphia Eagles On SI’s list of the top 25 players entering the season.
As the Eagles gear up for another season with massive expectations, Mailata finished at No. 8 in the balloting.
The list was compiled by the staff at Eagles on SI. Players were ranked from one through 25, with first place landing one point, second two points, and so on down to 25 points for 25th place. Thirty points were given to a player who appeared in the top 25 but didn’t get a vote from one of the three voting members – Jeff Kerr, John McMullen, and Ed Kracz.
Mailata made the top 10 on all three lists, with the high-water mark being No. 4 by McMullen. Kerr and Kracz were less bullish on the veteran, both putting the Australian native at No. 9.
Mailata remained one of the NFL's premier offensive tackles in 2025, delivering another solid campaign even as the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles fell short of their repeat hopes. Many of Mailata's peers on the league's top offensive line in the leagues -- Lane Johnson, Landon Dickerson, and Cam Jurgens specifically -- suffered through injury-plagued seasons but Mailata remained a beacon of consistency.
The massive 6-foot-8, 365-pound star anchored the O-Line. After being graded as the top player in all of football by Pro Football Focus in 2024, Mailata again earned standout run- and pass-blocking grades from Pro Football Focus while finishing No. 6 of the 84 ranked OTs.
What's more amazing is Mailata's consistency as he also ranked No. 6 as both a run blocker and pass protector.
Different Setup, Same Results?
Jordan Mailata
Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata (68) runs off the field after a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lincoln Financial Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Looking ahead to 2026, Mailata, 29, remains in his prime and is widely viewed as one of the NFL’s elite left tackles. There is change, however, from the man who shaped his football life -- former OL coach Jeff Stoutland -- to new position coach Chris Kuper.
"It’s one of those things where I’m at the point of my career where you know this is the business," Mailata said. "We lost A.J. [Brown]. We lost Stout. This is how the business is, and I’ve gotta find a way to find my feet again. I’ve gotta find a way to lead this locker room again. Regardless of whatever happens, those are the two things that I have to face now.
"S@#$ happens. How do I get over this? How do I get over this adversity, this hurdle? Those are just the challenges that I’m facing right now. I welcome it. I embrace it because this is part of football on and off the field."
While concerning on paper, the Eagles' shift from Stoutland and his long-time success to a new scheme was met with optimism by Mailata, a player so gifted it's likely he will continue to have success regardless of scheme.
"Chris [Kuper] is awesome," Mailata said this spring. "Chris has been a great addition to the team so far. He’s bringing on new techniques. I think he’s very familiar with this new scheme that we have. His experience and knowledge within the scheme is really translating from the classroom to the field right now, and we’re learning a lot of stuff."
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