The seventh and final round of the NFL Draft is all about finding that potential diamond in the rough. The Philadelphia Eagles followed that blueprint, using their last pick in this year’s draft on someone who has zero experience playing organized football. After acquiring the 233rd pick from the New England Patriots in exchange for the 250th overall selection and a 2019 seventh-rounder, the Eagles grabbed Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player for the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
The selection was less like trying to get a diamond in the rough and probably more like looking for a needle in a haystack because Mailata says he’s spent the last few months just learning the game of football. Mailata was invited to a workout in November through the NFL's International Player Pathway program. His workout went so well that IMG offered to train him as he prepared for this year’s draft.
When asked about his knowledge about the game of football before getting into the program, Mailata confessed, “Mate, as little as peanuts." However, as he opens the chapter of his NFL career, Mailata admittedly feels confident in where he stands today. “The last three or four months have not been easy at all," he said. "Mentally challenging as well as physically. Trying to understand the basics and the fundamentals of football has been a great task. Little knowledge before I came in, but I can happily say now that I can understand concepts and a beginning to have a step in the right direction."
The odds that the Eagles would take a chance on Mailata were quite high considering that when he held his pro day at IMG, it was co-led by Philadelphia’s offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland. For the Eagles, throwing a dart at Mailata isn’t a huge risk for the team that won the Super Bowl last season, and kept the entire team intact. And after one look at his rugby league highlights, you can understand why the 6-foot-8, 346-pound prospect would entice the organization.
