For once, Alshon Jeffery wasn't the star of the show. Instead, that distinction belonged to Marcus Johnson at the first padded practice of Eagles training camp on Saturday.
Jeffery's day ended early with a minor shoulder injury, giving Johnson the opportunity to shine. The undrafted wide receiver from Texas quickly became Carson Wentz's favorite target, hauling in pass after pass until practice was over — mercifully for Eagles cornerbacks trying to cover him.
The afternoon was in stark contrast to what happened to Johnson at his first padded practice with the Eagles in 2016.
"Last year, I came in first day of pads and I had an injury with my quad being pulled," Johnson said. "So for me to come back a year later, first day of pads again and to put my best forward, to have the practice that I did have, I have to keep building.
"It's the first day, so you can't get too high, too low on it. You just have to keep chipping away."
Johnson wisely is taking the standout practice in stride. However, the significance of working with the first-team offense against the first-team defense, and experiencing a high degree of success was not lost on him, either.
"This is definitely the most reps I've gotten (with the ones)," Johnson said. "For it to be Day 1 with the pads and get some good reps like that, it's something that I needed to make the most of it."
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Johnson, who will turn 23 on Saturday, faces seemingly long odds to make the 53-man roster, though he is someone the Eagles clearly like.
"Go back to the first part of OTAs, and he's made an impact," Eagles coach Doug Pederson said. "He's shown up, he's making some plays. He's one of the guys that we'll continue to give some reps from time to time with that first group and see where he's at."
Johnson continued to see a number of reps with the first-team offense on Sunday during the Birds' open practice at The Linc.
"He works hard, he's into it, smart," said Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich. "He's got some speed. He's got strength. He has the qualities that you're looking for. So very, very excited about his progress and he's getting a good look."
Initially added to the practice squad out of training camp last year, Johnson was released a week into the season to make room for a quarterback after the Sam Bradford trade. After nearly three months and several workouts with NFL teams, the Eagles finally had a spot open in December.
"At one point, I was just training by myself," Johnson said. "I'd go to a park and just run routes, whatever I could do. A good friend of mine who was a trainer ... called me up. Finished up training with him.
"Philly called and I was ready for it. I prepared."
Despite the lengthy wait, Johnson remained confident his shot would come.
"Philly, when they let me go, they told me, 'Be patient. You can play at this level,'" Johnson said.
Listed at 6-foot-1, 204 pounds, Johnson totaled 61 receptions for 793 yards and four touchdowns in 42 games (18 starts) at the University of Texas. He credited former wide receivers coach Greg Lewis — now with the Chiefs — for convincing him to sign with the Eagles out of college.
A year later, Johnson is still with the organization, and he's beginning to benefit from his familiarity with the scheme.
"It helps everything once you really get the playbook down," Johnson said. "It's a thick playbook. It's a lot of plays, a lot of change that goes into it, and definitely at this point of my career, understanding I need to play all positions. You really have to be mentally dialed in, but at the same time, it helps you a lot once you understand it, and it helps you play comfortable.
"Once you get that playbook down and you can play comfortable, the true athlete and the true player comes out."
The other big difference between this year and last is the logjam at the receiver position. With depth lacking, there were roster spots up for grabs last summer. After the Eagles signed Jeffery and Torrey Smith, and drafted two more wideouts, it will only be more challenging for Johnson to crack the 53.
Then again, a lot can change between now and September. Injuries, trades or other unanticipated moves could always create room.
Johnson doesn't need to concern himself with trying to beat out Jeffery or anybody else for a job.
"I don't look at it from a standpoint of competition," Johnson said. "I understand if I go out there and put the best player I am each and every day, that will speak for itself. From there, I just keep going at it one day at a time, chipping away, and it's been good for me so far."