Australian NFL draft hopeful Jordan Mailata impressed scouts at a pro day in Tampa, Fla. last weekend.
Mailata, a 20-year-old of Samoan origin who played professional rugby for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, got the chance to show representatives from all 32 teams how he is faring in his conversion to offensive tackle for the NFL. In attendance at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice facility last Saturday were NFL general managers Jason Licht of the Buccaneers and Rick Spielman of the Vikings.
Mailata measured just shy of 6-foot-8 and weighed 346 pounds. His arms measured a massive 35.5 inches. He was timed at 5.12 seconds in the 40-yard dash, which would have been good for seventh among tackle participants at the NFL Combine in February. He also excelled in the short shuttle with a time (4.67 seconds) that would have been among the top 10 at his position. Mailata put up 22 reps on the bench press.
"I felt today went well," Mailata said after completing his workout. "This was my first chance to go through the positional drills in front of teams and I hope they got a chance to see the progress I have made as I try to master the position."
Mailata has been working to hone his game at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., under the watchful eye of Aden Durde, the coach responsible for Moritz Bohringer's meteoric draft rise in 2016.
Bohringer himself was among five international-born football players working out for scouts during the same event in Tampa, which also included the top college players not invited to the NFL Combine.
