The Philadelphia Eagles are looking to build on their Super Bowl championship run from the 2024 season, and one of the ways to lay the groundwork for that is by hitting on their selections in the NFL Draft.
Keeping with tradition, the early returns from the veterans at OTAs show that Howie Roseman and Philadelphia's front office added another quality rookie class to the roster. One veteran in particular, offensive tackle Jordan Mailata, has grown particularly fond of the newcomers to the offensive line and the work ethic they bring to the table.
Jordan Mailata Praises Rookies for Already Pushing Him in Practice
------------------------------------------------------------------
“I love our rookies,” Mailata said, [via Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia](https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/jordan-mailata-eagles-rookies-myles-hinton-cameron-williams-drew-kendall/667993/). “This is a great rookie class, especially in that O-line room. They work hard. I told Myles and I told Cameron and I told Drew, I said, ‘I don’t care if you come for my job. If you’re going to be better than me, you’re going to be better than me. But I’m going to make it damn hard for you to reach that. I’m going to bring you along. I’m not going to kick you down.’ I said, ‘That’s not how it runs here. That’s not how we do it. I’ll bring you along because you’ll make me better.’ And boy, that boy is pushing me.”
For a Super Bowl champion and 2024 All-Pro selection to say this about a batch of players who have yet to play a meaningful down as professionals says volumes about the type of people these rookies are and their dedication to their craft.
It is hard to ignore what Mailata had to say about helping these rookies grow and become the best version of themselves so that the Eagles continue to compete, and ideally win, championships. Given how short the average NFL career is, not all players would bring this same attitude toward assisting the younger talent on the roster that is, ultimately, looking to take Mailata's job sometime down the road.
By looking at things the way Mailata does in this interview, it is no wonder that the lineman has come as far as he has as a player. As much as Mailata plans to push these rookies on and off the field, it seems like he is enjoying all the work they're making him do to stay ahead of the curve.
### More Philadelphia Eagles News and Rumors: