Dominant Dozen: Star O-Lineman Kicks Off Top 10

How good were the Super Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles during the 2024-35 season?

Star left tackle Jordan Mailata was the best offensive player in the NFL last season, regardless of position, according to Pro Football Focus, and he finished No. 10 on the Philadelphia Eagles On SI’s 12 most impactful players en route to the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy.

The list was compiled by Eagles on SI beat writers Ed Kracz and John McMullen, who put together their lists independent of each other, with No. 1 being awarded 12 points, down to the 12th man earning one point.

Receiver DeVonta Smith kicked off the countdown at No. 12, collecting three points, and Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens came in at No. 11 with four points.

Mailata received seven points, all from McMullen, who had Mailata No. 6 on his list while the tough crowd that is Kracz left Mailata off his “Dominant Dozen.”

A second-team All-Pro last season, Mailata’s story is well known. A former rugby player in his native Australia, he had never played a down of organized football before being selected as a seventh-round pick in 2018.

Two-plus developmental years under the tutelage of Jeff Stoutland had Mailata, who will turn 28 on March 31, ready for the call when injuries forced him into the lineup in 2020. The next season, Mailata beat out 2019 first-round pick Andre Dillard and took off, quickly developing into one of the league’s best left tackles.

Over his four full seasons as the Eagles’ starting LT, Mailata was ranked by PFF as No. 3 of 83 OTs in 2021, No. 9 of 81 in 2022, No. 3 of 81 in 2023 and No. 1 of 81 last season when he served as a team captain and as the best player on the league’s best offensive line which helped Saquon Barkley rush for the NFL single-season (including playoffs) rushing record of 2,504 yards.

The offensive line was also the foundation of an offense that scored an NFL record 145 postseason points.

Mailata accomplished all that despite missing four games on injured reserve due to a nasty hamstring strain suffered against Cleveland in Week 6. 

He returned to play at an extremely high level, starting on Nov. 14 against Washington and through the 40-22 Super Bowl blowout of Kansas City, only missing the meaningless Week 18 game against the New York Giants when head coach Nick Sirianni rested his starters.