Linebacker Shine

PHILADELPHIA — Another scorcher pummeled the Delaware Valley on Thursday morning as the Eagles returned to the practice field a day after holding a closed walkthrough.

The temperature, during the height of the session, read 90 degrees according to my iPhone, with a fellow reporter sharing that the real feel climbed as high as 103.

As for Thursday’s status report, LB Zack Baun (back contusion), TE E.J. Jenkins (hamstring), WR Terrace Marshall (knee), S Drew Mukuba (shoulder), WR DeVonta Smith (back tightness) and EDGE Nolan Smith (concussion) didn’t practice.

Marshall, a spectator Thursday, sustained the knee injury Tuesday. FB Ben VanSumeren was shaken up during a team period and didn’t return.

Mukuba got some work in with a trainer on a side field during the session. Jenkins, sporting a sleeve on his right leg, did some light striding after practice. He retreated gingerly inside shortly thereafter.

LB Nakobe Dean (Active/Physically Unable to Perform) was spotted before practice working on a far field, partaking in a cone drill and light backpedaling with a sled, the harness fastened around his waist.

Limited for the Eagles were LB Jihaad Campbell (shoulder), DT Jalen Carter (shoulder), RB A.J. Dillon (back) and C Cam Jurgens (back).

The practice itself, categorized as “yellow,” covered roughly 80 minutes. Special teams coordinator Michael Clay addressed the media prior to practice for the first time this camp.

ITB PHOTO/ANDREW DICECCO: Eagles defensive players participate in a positional drill before another camp practice.

Let’s get to the practice observations.

* The punt returners during individuals included WRs Ainias Smith, Avery Williams, Giles Jackson and Taylor Morin. A pair of DBs, Cooper DeJean and Adoree’ Jackson, also logged reps.

* The cornerback battle between veteran Adoree’ Jackson and third-year pro Kelee Ringo continued, with Jackson this time opening with the first-team defense. Ringo also mixed in with the first team.

* With rookie Drew Mukuba sidelined, there hasn’t been as much rotating. DeJean, as he’s done throughout camp, joined Reed Blankenship at safety in base defense. When pivoting to nickel, DeJean slid down and third-year pro Sydney Brown came on at safety.

* At linebacker, without Baun, it was Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and rookie Jihaad Campbell repping with the first team. Rookie Smael Mondon Jr. had an active morning and repped some with the first team, and rookie free agent Lance Dixon sprinkled in with the 1s. As a collective, I thought the second-level performed well.

On Campbell, the Alabama product showcased intriguing versatility, moonlighting as a second-team edge rusher for the first time this summer.

* Fourth-year G Kenyon Green, acquired in the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade, worked with the second unit. Noteworthy, as he contends for a roster spot.

* For as commendable as the boundless energy and intensity can be, especially from a first-year player, Campbell might need to dial it down a notch or two. As previously noted, the rookie linebacker earlier in the week attempted to jar the ball loose from QB Tanner McKee and took down TE Dallas Goedert. In this practice, Campbell took RB Keilan Robinson to the ground. He also knocked down VanSumeren, who impeded Campbell’s pursuit to the ball. As noted, VanSumeren left Thursday’s session early as a result.

* During a situational red zone period (two-minute, end of game sequence), Jalen Hurts tossed his second interception of the week, sailing a Texas route to RB Saquon Barkley. CB Eli Ricks, running with the first team on this play, was there to secure the interception. As noted on Tuesday, Ricks has quietly had a nice start to his third summer in Philadelphia.

* The connection between Hurts and Goedert has been near-automatic this summer, which is why it was uncharacteristic to note a Goedert drop, which occurred during a team period with DeJean defending. Goedert would bounce back later, reeling in leaping grab in front of S Tristin McCollum on a perfectly placed ball from Hurts. Training camp utilization can at times prove to be deceptive, but Goedert appears primed for a large role under new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo.

* Veteran pass-rusher Josh Uche, filling in for Smith (concussion) on the first team, did well to disengage from a Goedert block and turn the corner, his pressure forcing a hasty Hurts sideline heave in the direction of WR Jahan Dotson that fell incomplete. It’s early, but Uche has flashed more than his free-agent counterpart, Azeez Ojulari.

* With RB A.J. Dillon limited, rookie free agent Montrell Johnson Jr., whom I’ve previously noted, saw a smattering of first-team reps. The Florida product has exhibited solid contact balance and vision in his opportunities and offers potential value as a kick returner. Keep an eye on him this preseason. In other undrafted free agent news, ShunDerrick Powell (5-7, 183) ripped off a long run, shaking off a defender before accelerating through the hole. On Tuesday, Powell twice found paydirt.

RB Keilan Robinson also produced a highlight run, shrugging off initial contact before surging through a crease for a decent pickup. Robinson will be another player to monitor on special teams throughout the preseason.

* CB Kelee Ringo collected a pair of pass breakups. The first occurred on an underthrown McKee deep ball down the left sideline, where Ringo had better positioning than Cooper. Ringo should have picked off the pass, but settled for the pass breakup. The other came on a McKee end zone jump ball to 6-foot-6 WR Johnny Wilson, when Ringo ascended to get a hand in to reject the pass.

* QB Tanner McKee on Thursday logged a handful of noteworthy completions. The first to make the notebook came on a mid-range touch pass down the seam to TE Nick Muse with Lance Dixon trailing. The third-year quarterback, on play-action, connected on a deep strike to reserve TE Cameron Latu (a fluid-mover with wheels), who slipped behind Dixon. McKee then dialed up second-year WR Johnny Wilson (more on him in a second) on the ensuring play for solid yardage. He later rifled a bullet to undrafted WR Darius Cooper, hitting him in stride on a crossing route. Ringo brought him to the ground.

With regard to Wilson, the second-year wideout hasn’t played to his towering frame through six practices. I haven’t yet seen the aggressiveness attacking the catch point or an ability to regularly come down with contested catches. The player with a similar frame who has checked those boxes, for comparison – albeit a limited sample size – has been WR Elijah Cooks. Cooks, by the way, almost pulled off a highlight catch, as McKee threaded a dart into a tight window at the goal line. CB Parry Nickerson, S Andre’ Sam and Dixon converged to deny the completion.

* I referenced LB Smael Mondon Jr. earlier for having an active morning, but there was little he could do when attempting to defend Hurts in the open field. The Super Bowl LIX MVP stymied the rookie as he broke down with an ankle-buckling juke, before cruising around him for a few yards.

* Second-year RB Will Shipley made the notebook multiple times for the second consecutive practice. The Clemson product bounced jet-sweep along the sideline and showed good acceleration on a burst through the right side of the Eagles’ offensive line on another run. But what really stood out to me was Shipley’s ability to hold his own in pass protection, where at one point he identified and stoned a blitzing Dixon. Pass protection is a facet of Shipley’s game we often discussed during our ITB “Rookie Diary” series. After a relatively quiet start to camp, he’s come on.

* I hustled over to a far field to catch a glimpse of OL/DL drills. For as praiseworthy as Jordan Mailata was of second-year pass-rusher Jalyx Hunt earlier in camp, Mailata stonewalled Hunt and drove him backwards on one of his rushes. Other standout reps included third-year DT Moro Ojomo, as he got around veteran OL Matt Pryor, and another rep from veteran OL Brett Toth, who held off rookie DT Ty Robinson.

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.