Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Ranking Mailata

Posted July 16th, 2025 | 1 Comment »

Lane Johnson is the best offensive lineman in the NFL. Some might have him down at second or third, but everyone agrees he is a great player who will be headed to Canton when he retires. Jordan Mailata is a more complicated evaluation.

Mailata has moments of dominance.

He also has some moments where he’ll struggle.

The good moments far outweigh the bad ones. Mailata has developed from a solid starter to a very good LT. OL guru Brandon Thorn does annual rankings on OL positions. He just released his rankings and Mailata made a big jump. Mailata was the #11 LT a year ago. Now he’s up to 6th.

6. Jordan Mailata – Mailata is coming off of a 12-start, Second Team All-Pro season in 2024. It was the best year of his career, despite the fact that he missed four games due to a hamstring injury. At 6’8”, 360+ pounds, Mailata is a startlingly smooth mover, special run blocker and has increasingly improved in pass protection to the point that his overall game belongs firmly in tier two. Mailata will still struggle to mirror against adept counters and inside moves, but this issue arose at a lower clip in 2024 than any point over the last three seasons. It’s important for context to note that he plays next to an elite-level left guard in Landon Dickerson, and Philadelphia ran the ball more than any team in the league last year. This resulted in the O-line’s percentage of pass blocking snaps (46%) being lower than any team in football by a wide margin. Mailata has had the luxury of operating in as close to ideal circumstances as possible since becoming a starter, which has been critical to his rise. Considering his obscure background, he remains one of the most impressive developmental stories in NFL history.

Thorn studies every OL in the league. He writes about OL and DL year round. He doesn’t have casual rankings that are based on highlights and big games. I put a lot of stock in what Thorn has to say. You might disagree with his evaluations, but there is a lot of work that goes into them and he works diligently to make sure they are as accurate as possible.

ESPN has been releasing their rankings of players. These are done by “surveying execs, coaches and scouts”. That sounds great, but not all of those guys have studied every position thoroughly and you never know if someone has an agenda.

These rankings have Johnson as the #3 OT in the league, which feels low, and Mailata as #5, which feels high. That’s overall OTs, not split by sides.

There has been no tangible drop-off in Johnson’s play after 12 seasons. In fact, Johnson ranked among the best — again — in run block win rate at 80.2.

He has proved durable in his early-to-mid-30s, logging at least 15 games in each of the last three seasons on his way to consecutive Pro Bowls. These factors helped Johnson narrowly edge Trent Williams for the third spot.

“He’s kind of the gold standard now — technique, smarts and probably the most instinctive of them all,” an NFL personnel director said. “He’s a perfect product of that system. He’s dealt with a lot, from mental health to injuries, and he’s come out of it better than ever.”

Just about everyone lauds Johnson’s overall game, from his second-level mauling in the run game to his footwork and discipline in the pass game.

To give you an idea why I trust these rankings less, one evaluator had Johnson as the #10 OT in the league. That borders on insane.

Here are the notes on Mailata.

Mailata is well known for his rare combination of size (6-foot-8, 365 pounds), agility and violence at the line of scrimmage. Now, he’s known for other things – such as a Super Bowl champion and a second team All-Pro.

Mailata allowed 1.5 sacks in 2024 per Next Gen Stats, tied for the fewest among tackles with at least 350 pass-blocking snaps. Couple that with his running game prowess and the Eagles have a long-term solution at left tackle.

One NFC exec called Mailata’s ascension “astronomical.”

“One of the most unique players in the NFL,” a veteran NFL personnel executive said. “Has really improved year-to-year. Only thing that holds him back from the others at the top is they probably have better instincts.”

A different personnel executive man with an NFC team loves Mailata’s game, but kept him out of the top four because he’s “still improving and becoming more sound, but there’s still enough ways to get him off balance.”

The evaluators worst ranking for him was 7th overall.

It really is amazing that Mailata has gone from a fun draft story to a borderline great player. The best part…he is still improving. He is getting smarter and more technically sound each season. The size and athleticism has always been there.

I will never get tired of moments like this.

*****

CJGJ talked to Ryan Clark about a variety of things. CJGJ ripped Eagles management for being “scared of having a competitor” around. He made mention of a practice fight that he was involved with in the postseason and how that was blamed on him.

I have no idea if the Eagles just wanted him gone or if it was a financial move. Howie Roseman said it was about money. I tend to trust Howie since they acquired CJGJ twice. If they didn’t like him, why bring him back?

CJGJ said the Eagles wouldn’t win a Super Bowl without him. He then decided to retract that.

He’s frustrated. CJGJ wanted to stay with the Eagles. I completely understand his frustration. I will say that I think there are more holes in his game than he would like to admit. But he is a physical player and a playmaker. And his fiery personality can be good for a defense that needs a boost. I wish him well in Houston.

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One Comment on “Ranking Mailata”

  1. 1 The Linc - ESPN’s top 10 cornerback rankings include Quinyon Mitchell - SportSourcio said at 1:01 PM on July 17th, 2025:

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