Australia has a long history of producing NFL punters, but offensive tackle Mailata has shown Aussies can thrive in other positions, having become the nation's first to play in a Super Bowl win during the Eagles' triumph over Kansas City.
Mailata's ascent to the pinnacle of the game was big news in Australia where contact sports, Australian Rules football and rugby league, reign supreme in a crowded market.
Fans will also follow Jordan Petaia's progress as the rugby union international strives to make the grade at the Los Angeles Chargers after signing a contract with them.
Like Mailata, former Wallabies centre Petaia, seen as a potential tight end by the Chargers, earned his chance after going through the NFL's International Player Pathway (IPP) training program.
A number of Australians will hope to join Mailata and Petaia with NFL contracts after the 90th draft in Green Bay, but the biggest chances may have to wait until late in the three-day event when teams top up their punters.
Alex Mastromanno has been linked with the Denver Broncos after his strong season in his senior year at Florida State.
James Burnip, another Melbourne man who punted for Alabama University, has also generated draft buzz along with Florida Gators punter Jeremy Crawshaw and Vanderbilt's Jesse Mirco.
All four were trained at ProKick Australia, a specialist kicking academy in Melbourne that transforms local footballers into elite punters.
Some 25 ProKick graduates are coming out of US colleges this year and many will have fingers crossed during the draft.
"It's been a big year. Hopefully someone will get drafted," academy founder and coach Nathan Chapman told Reuters.
ProKick Australia has a high hit-rate of putting mature-age Australians into US colleges on sports scholarships, which critics have branded unfair on younger American athletes.
There is unlikely to be much complaint, however, if hulking Laki Tasi gets drafted or picked up as an undrafted free agent.
Seen as a potential defensive linesman, Tasi trained with Petaia at the NFL's Asia Pacific Academy in Australia before heading to the IMG Academy in Florida in January for the IPP's 10-week training program.
Though much heavier than Petaia, he has plenty in common with the Queenslander, sharing Samoan heritage and a childhood in rugby-mad Brisbane.
"He's probably the most intriguing that's draft-eligible to me," NFL Academy head Will Bryce told Reuters.
"He's 6'6", he's 300-plus pounds, he's powerful, big lower body, thick hips. There's some potential there.
"Just hearing how he hit the bag on that IPP pro day was violent and it was different to everyone else."
