With all the noise around joint practice between the Eagles and Patriots last week, an injury update to Eagles rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon was overlooked. After two weeks on the sideline, Lemon was listed as a limited participant for both Wednesday's and Thursday's joint practices in New England.

Back in Philadelphia on Monday, the rookie was a full participant in practice for the first time since August 3rd, taking part in all team drills and catching out routes from quarterback Jalen Hurts.

"I feel great," Lemon said after practice on Monday. "Definitely feels great to be back out here with the guys and doing the work."

Lemon injured his hamstring only four days into Eagles Training Camp – not ideal timing for a rookie receiver looking to get comfortable before the regular season. Yet, that wasn't the most difficult part of being injured.

"Just seeing all the guys out there hooping, being on the sideline, you're like, 'Damn, I wish I could be out there with them,'" Lemon said. "It was definitely tough. I'm real competitive. I never want to be away from this game."

Offensive Coordinator Sean Mannion is not worried about Lemon missing time. Mannion said that the Eagles' first-round pick has "been working his tail off to get back out" at practice and has "been a total pro about his approach to rehab, his approach to the mental side of the game."

"Mentally he's been super engaged," Mannion said Monday. "The unfortunate nature of football is sometimes you might miss some time, but he's done everything in his power, despite not having those physical reps, to be ready for us to make an impact."

In place of physical reps, Lemon has been taking mental reps at practice, running routes by himself, and shadowing other Eagles receivers as they take their physical reps. Lemon says these mental reps are just as important as being on the field.

"I feel like you're just able to see the game from a different perspective," Lemon said. "Making sure I was doing that over and over again so, when I step on the field, I'm ready to go and there isn't much of a gap."

Being in the film room, studying the playbook, and taking those mental reps made the return to full participation more comfortable for the rookie receiver. Luckily for Lemon, he wasn't in it alone – DeVonta Smith hurt his hamstring the same practice in which Lemon injured his hamstring. Smith also returned to action as a limited participant last week.

"We were going through the same process at the same time," Lemon said of the veteran wide receiver. "Just learning from him, just talking through things, anytime I'm able to get some game from him, I'm doing that."

Lemon's work rate even while being injured has not gone unnoticed by his teammates.

"He's been fitting into the culture well," cornerback Riq Woolen said. "He's a young pro. He comes in, he works. He does everything he needs to do so he can come back out and be available on the field.

"I'm excited to have him come back to practice. It's pretty cool to see him out there sprinting because that's something that everybody wants to see, him healthy and having fun." – Written by Caroline Connor