Eagles draft Aussie rugby player Mailata

The Philadelphia made one of the "big" surprise picks in the 2018 NFL Draft by selecting a massive Australian rugby player who has never played American football with the 233rd overall pick in the seventh round.

At 6 feet 8 and 346 pounds, Jordan Mailata impressed the Eagles with his physical attributes. He also has impressed for someone that large, clocking a 5.12-second 40-yard dash at his pro day.

The Eagles project the 20-year-old as an offensive lineman, but his development obviously will take some time.

"I'll never forget this day for the rest of my life," Mailata said in an interview. "There were a lot of emotions today. I didn't how I was feeling especially when it came down to the last 30 picks, but it's been a great experience as a whole."

Mailata arrived in Dallas on Saturday. He has been training an IMG Academy in Florida after visiting the Eagles earlier in the month.

"Definitely wasn't something I took lightly," Mailata said of his decision to pursue an NFL career. "It took me about two months to make my mind up. The fans here are very passionate and very outspoken here, and hopefully I can earn their respect."

The Eagles made a trade with the New England Patriots to move into the No. 233 spot from No. 250 where Mailata, who starred in rugby for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, was drafted.

Mailita said his first thoughts about giving football a try came in November.

"It's a fun sport, you know? Why not give it a try?" he told NFL Network. "It's been an absolute brainstorm of an experience."

Mailata became the second international player drafted, following German wide receiver Moritz Boehringer, who was chosen by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round in 2016 but is now a free agent.

It's not the first time the Eagles have made such a move. They signed Canadian rugby player Adam Zaruba to a three-year contract in 2017 as a free agent and made him a tight end.

Mailata has a major challenge ahead of him to develop into an NFL player. He said his goal is to make the 53-man roster and play in a regular-season game within the next three years for the defending Super Bowl champions.